


Until We Meet Again

by Gummie88



Category: D.Gray-man
Genre: Allen plays piano, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Boy talk with Lenalee, Cruising, Cuddling & Snuggling, Jazz bars, Kissing, M/M, Making Out, Misunderstandings, Promises, Reuniting, Road Trips, Sad with a Happy Ending, Summer Fling, Summer Love, Traveler Lavi, handjobs, semi-public handjobs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-23
Updated: 2019-05-23
Packaged: 2020-03-09 21:44:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 30,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18925585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gummie88/pseuds/Gummie88
Summary: A seaside town where it constantly rains and the locals are probably too stir crazy for their own good. Not to say it's a bad place to live, quite the opposite, really. It's populated enough to not be deserted and anyone can walk along the rocky shores, listening to the ocean waves crash against the cliffs. It's quiet and peaceful.When a mysterious traveler named Lavi passes through one day, there's an instant spark that then manifests into a summer romance. Allen's life is now much more unpredictable and he thrives off of it.Though Allen has to wonder... what are him and Lavi, exactly?





	Until We Meet Again

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone!
> 
> First things first, I want to say that this fanfic is inspired by the work titled [Of Sunlit Silences and Crashing Waves](https://archiveofourown.org/works/2108742/chapters/4599219) by [the49thname](https://archiveofourown.org/users/the49thname/pseuds/the49thname). This is a fanfic I've adored for awhile and it's setting really inspired me to write my own Lavi/Allen fic. However, the similarities really stop at the setting and Lavi and Allen's first interaction at the diner. I obviously didn't want to take too much from this author and of course wanted to make this into my own work, but regardless I couldn't deny the inspiration.
> 
> With that out of the way, I know D. Gray-man isn't exactly the most thriving fandom on AO3, but this is purely a huge passion project I've been working on for months now. I've adored this pairing since probably 2011 and I used to post fanfics all the time on my old DeviantART account. I just felt so inspired to bring back the characters of DGM and even if only one person reads and gets enjoyment out of this, it's all I can ask for.

A seaside town where it constantly rains and the locals are probably too stir crazy for their own good. Not to say it's a bad place to live, quite the opposite, really. It's populated enough to not be deserted and anyone can walk along the rocky shores, listening to the ocean waves crash against the cliffs. It's quiet and peaceful.

However, for people like Allen Walker, it can also become stagnant at times. He follows a strict routine, going to his average job and trying to make ends meet. He walks to work every day, usually wearing his sturdy rain boots and always keeping an umbrella ready in case it decides to drizzle at any given moment. For being a relatively small area they still have a decent downtown area, filled with family owned businesses, cafes, and bars. In the heart of downtown is a little diner named The Ark, where Allen has worked for a few years now. It's a nice and steady job, fast paced enough to not be a drag but an overall pleasant place to work.

Once Allen gets to work, he smiles at his boss. "Good morning." He says easily.

"Morning." Tyki Mikk responds, looking bored as ever. The Ark is owned by the Noah family and Tyki just happens to be the oldest sibling at the moment to take care of it. Thankfully his younger sister is very interested in running the diner so he knows he can safely hand it off and go do... whatever it is he wants to do. Allen hasn't figured out what that is yet because based off what the white-haired boy knows about Tyki already, he just spends his time lurking around and flirting with anyone who smiles at him.

"Busy at all this morning?" Allen asks as he ties an apron around his thin waist. He thinks he knows the answer since the place is currently empty, but it doesn't hurt to ask.

Tyki barks a laugh, leaning his elbows on the counter. "It's definitely been busier."

"Well it's not a week day so not a lot of regulars aren't coming in." Allen says and grabs a nearby damp towel, wiping down the counter.

Tyki hums absently and stands up straight, making his way towards the front door. "You can handle yourself, right? I'm gonna go have a smoke." The man doesn't even wait for a response, already opening the door which jingles the little bell and promptly leaves Allen alone in the diner. Allen's pretty used to it by now so he doesn't mind. At least it's not busy.

Most of his shift that day is uneventful. They pick up a little later and Allen gets to see some of the regulars, making idle chat with them and preparing drinks he's done a million times before. Tyki floats in and out, helping out sometimes but mostly stays in the back where he does other things. Eventually he does leave early even though he still technically has two hours left of his shift. Allen doesn't mind since it's slow.

A jukebox lulls in the background, adding to the vintage atmosphere The Ark tries to portray. It's kind of a mix of the old-fashioned aesthetic while still maintaining a homey feeling. Whether or not you can pinpoint exactly what the diner is going for, it does help set it apart from the other businesses in the downtown area.

Another hour ticks by and it starts to rain outside. Some people pop in for a minute to get out their umbrellas so they can go back out and brave the storm. Most of them don't even buy anything and they're gone as quick as they come. Allen has already performed many of his closing duties, leaving him to lean on the counter, cheek in his hand as he watches the torrential downpour outside. The bright signs from across the street are barely distinguishable now through the rain, making everything foggy and unclear, as if in a dream. This is only enhanced by the jukebox playing a playlist of 50's and 60's jazz and big band music. Allen hums along and taps his fingers to the beat. It's hard to realize they're in the 21st century at this very moment.

Right before Allen turns around to clean something for the hundredth time, the front door opens and the bell jingles, drawing his attention to the incoming customer. The man stops, dropping his hood and ruffling his already unruly (but still somehow styled?) red hair. It's not completely an unnatural red, still holding that orange tint that natural redheads have. The man has a very odd style in general, favoring deep Earth tones with his dark green long coat that grazes the tops of his knees and a large mustard and brown scarf that envelops his neck and shoulders. He unravels some of that too, letting the long ends drape down to the length of his coat. He also wears white pants and worn brown boots. Perhaps the strangest thing about the man, however, is the precariously placed eye patch on his right eye. It makes a million questions race through Allen's head. It's not completely unlikely that he may be a tourist, though most of those seem normal and forgettable. Allen simply doesn't know what to think of him.

When the stranger seems satisfied with how he's dried off, he flashes a smile in Allen's direction, teeth straight and white. The white-haired boy swallows and straightens up as he approaches the counter. "What can I get for you, sir?" He asks. When standing this close he can see just how tall the redhead is... Though that doesn't mean much since plenty of people are taller than Allen.

"Um..." The man hums thoughtfully, squinting at the menu above them. "I'll just a have a small black coffee."

"Okay, can I have a name for that?" Allen asks as he inputs the order into the computer off to the side.

"It's only me in here, though." The redhead says and chuckles at his own comment.

"Oh." Allen feels a hot blush on his cheeks. "S-Sorry, it's just a habit to ask. It gets pretty busy in here and sometimes it's hard to keep track of who ordered what."

The stranger's smile never wavers. "I'm just messing with you. The name's Lavi." He tells Allen, sitting in one of the stools at the counter to wait for his drink.

 _Lavi..._ Allen thinks the name is unique and interesting and he has to stop himself from smiling.

"Okay Lavi, that'll be $1.12."

The stranger (or Lavi) pulls an old and worn brown wallet from his coat pocket and hands him a couple of wrinkled ones. Allen promptly opens the register and counts out the change for him. Once the exchange is done and the white-haired boy turns around to quickly retrieve the cup of coffee for Lavi. Even though it was a joke, he still gets out the marker from the pocket of his apron and writes 'Lavi' on the cup.

"Here you go." Allen hands over the cup to him.

"Thanks, this'll be perfect to warm up with." Lavi says.

Allen expects the curious man to say goodbye and make his way out the door, so he's pleasantly surprised when he and casually leans his arms on the counter, making Allen think he's going to stay for at least a few more minutes.

"So I've never seen you around here before, are you from out of town?" He asks, unable to contain his curiosity anymore.

"You could say that." Lavi sets down his cup and gives Allen his full attention, and from this close, Allen can see that the man's visible eye is a striking shade of forest green and that he has light freckles that dust his cheeks and across the bridge of his nose.

"What does that mean?" Allen presses, finding himself charmed by the mystery of Lavi.

"I'm from everywhere and nowhere. I travel around a lot."

"Oh?" He raises an eyebrow, not quite expecting that answer. It may have been the tiniest bit pretentious, and yet he's finding it hard to get annoyed at all.

"Yep, I just got into town a few hours ago and I've been walking around to check it out. That was before it started to pour and I took cover here."

Allen nods. "Yeah, that happens more often than not."

"Glad I did, though, or else I wouldn't have seen you." Lavi tells him with a smug look on his face. Before Allen can truly react, he continues. "I don't think I've seen anyone quite like you before. What's your name?"

Allen blinks, still taken back from the whole encounter. "A-Allen Walker." He stammers.

"Allen, hm? Nice to meet you, Allen." Lavi extends a hand out to him which Allen hesitantly takes. The redhead gives him a firm handshake before placing his hand back on the table. "You also have an accent. Are you from the UK?"

That blush comes back from earlier in full force. "Yes, I lived there until I was about 12. I didn't think it was still that noticeable?"

"It's faint, but I could hear it. I have a knack for that kind of stuff." Lavi says with a grin.

"I could ask you the same thing, Lavi. You have some sort of accent, yet I can't pinpoint it." Allen goes along with him, tilting his head slightly as he thinks. "Boston, maybe? Er, no, slightly southern? Those two are very different though..."

Lavi laughs, looking positively delighted. It's a clear and harmonic laugh that's contagious. "Like I said, I've lived in a lot of places my whole life, I probably do have a weird accent."

Allen nods, intrigued. "I guess that makes sense. Where all have you been, exactly?"

"The list is too long to name them all. I've spend the most time in Europe, Japan, and the US, though."

"Wow..." The white-haired boy breathes.

Lavi smiles again before taking the last sip of his coffee. He seemed to have liked it which helps Allen feel more at ease about the quality of The Ark. However, that also signals that he's going to leave soon, and Allen really doesn't want him to.

"How long are you going to be in town?" Allen blurts out before he can stop himself.

"Why, are you going to miss me?" The redhead fires back and it seems like he winks at the other, though it's kind of hard to tell since he only has one eye visible.

While it did succeed in making Allen flustered, he's able to bounce back quickly. "Well, I barely know you."

"We could change that. What time do you get off work?"

The question catches Allen off guard and it takes him a solid three seconds to even process what Lavi asked him. With a quick glance at the clock, he frowns. "I close." He says simply.

"Shame." Lavi says, getting up from his chair. "Well, I was gonna hang out at one of the bars tonight. The one right down the street, specifically. I think it was called The Black Order? I saw that they have local bands play and stuff which is sick. Anyway, if you get off work and you wanna meet up later, you can find me there." After he wraps the loose ends of his scarf around his neck again, he digs in his pocket and produces a twenty dollar bill and leaves it on the counter in front of Allen. "See ya later, Allen." He winks again and turns on his heels, leaving Allen alone in the diner.

The white-haired boy stares down at the twenty on the table in disbelief and mentally kicks himself for not refusing the money immediately. It's very rare that he gets a tip anyway, let alone one as generous as this. Though to be fair, Lavi did leave before he could even really say anything. Allen picks up the bill and pockets it. "I'll just have to return it to him later." He mumbles to himself, a sudden rush of determination coming over him. Any other time, he wouldn't even consider going somewhere like The Order, however, he's feeling... rather adventurous today. Something about Lavi made him want to break out of his normal routine.

Now to just wait until his shift is over.

\--

Finally, after what feels like forever, Allen steps out of the dark diner and locks the door behind him. Technically it's supposed to be Tyki to do this but, since he's rarely around during closing, Allen just takes over that role. Sometimes he feels like he doesn't get paid enough for all he does. It's stopped raining but Allen can still feel the humidity in the air and it's left behind a slight fog. Even though it's the early summer, the constant rain has Allen keep a light jacket on him for nights like this when it's slightly chilly.

Normally he'd turn the other way and start walking towards his apartment but tonight, he has different plans. With the twenty dollar bill in his pocket as a reminder, he turns the other way, walking further into the downtown area. There are a few people walking around from bar to bar, laughing in groups or couples linked by the arm. Allen never really sticks around to see the night life of the town and sometimes even forgets that it exists.

A couple blocks away he sees the blue neon sign for The Black Order emerge from the misty air. Even from this far away he can hear the muffled music that comes from within. Allen has visited the place more times than the average person may think, but it has been awhile. Being a Saturday night it's decently crowded and the music only gets louder when Allen's finally in front of the building. To get in you descend a flight of stairs and enter through an old door, much reminiscent of an old speakeasy back in the day. As the door is opened his senses are bombarded. There's a local rock band playing up on the stage back further into the bar, electric guitars blaring with a steady bass line keeping the momentum of the song. A crowd of people are gathered around the stage, pumping their fists or simply bobbing their heads up and down to the music.

Allen starts to scan the crowd, already seeing a few locals as well as the tourist crowd that The Black Order tends to attract because of the live music and strange atmosphere. He doesn't catch sight of Lavi immediately so he ventures further in and figures standing by the bar is probably a safe bet in case the other searches for him there. He feels a little awkward simply standing around but he's not very interested in getting a drink or anything. At least not right this second.

He stands around for a few minutes, people coming in and out of the door. He starts to feel a little discouraged. Leaning on the counter, he checks his watch, sighing. It's been about thirty five minutes now and he has that sinking feeling that Lavi wasn't going to show up or already left before he got there. They'd literally only talked for a few minutes so why does Allen feel so disappointed? It's so silly and yet he has the worst sinking feeling in his chest. Maybe some part of him wanted to do something different for once. Well, at least he got to listen to some decent local music while he waited.

He pushes himself off from leaning against the counter, figuring he could free up the space for people who actually want to have a drink.

"Have you seen some guy with white hair around here?"

He just barely hears a voice yell over the noise of the crowd and Allen stops dead in his tracks. When he turns around, he finally spots him, a few seats down the bar talking to the bartender. The bartender nods and points in Allen's direction in which the redhead spins his head around in that direction. Lavi's one green eye meets Allen's gray ones in absolute instant and the happiest expression Allen has ever seen graces his face. He stumbles away from the bar, promptly bumping into a few people as he pushes his way towards Allen. The white-haired boy turns and stands awkwardly, not sure if he should stand somewhere a bit more out of the way or just wait until the redhead gets over to him first.

He decides to go with the latter, standing his ground as Lavi fights through the people to finally stand right in front of him. The lighting in the bar is obviously not the greatest but even Allen can see that his cheeks are slightly flushed, hair a little more disheveled, and his calm expression from earlier replaced with a wide smile. "You came!" He exclaims.

One part of Allen is flattered that he's so excited to see him despite their short interaction and another part of him wonders: should he feel this comfortable around someone he doesn't know? He can't answer that but figures that's an issue for later, depending on how this interaction goes. "Of course I came," He remembers the twenty dollar bill on his back pocket and fishes it out, "I had to give you this tip back." He says, grabbing Lavi's hand at his side and placing it back into his hand.

Allen can tell it takes Lavi a few seconds to process what happened, staring down at the money in his palm. "What? I gave this to you, keep it!" He insists.

He shakes his head and raises his hands up so he can't hand it over. "Please, Lavi, I don't need tips like this. I make a high enough hourly wage to not rely on them." He says. He can absolutely not in good conscious accept that high of a tip from this charming stranger.

The bright smile from a moment ago seems to fall at the realization. "Oh, okay, if you're sure." Lavi shoves the twenty into his jacket pocket. "Did you come just to give me that?" He asks, unable to keep the sad tone out of his voice.

Allen feels his heart fall at the disappointed expression that Lavi wears compared to how excited he was a second before. He has to find a way to redeem this fast. "No no of course not!" He laughs awkwardly. "I just wanted to give that back but I did come to see you!" He tries to assure.

Some of the tension from Lavi's shoulders visibly leaves and he's instantly more at ease. "Oh good, I was worried for a second!"

Allen smiles back. "How long have you been here? I was waiting but I didn't see you." He asks.

"I was right in front of the stage by the band." Lavi explains as they step out of the way to let people pass. "I got really into for a minute that I lost track of the time."

 _Understandable_ , Allen thinks. When taking a closer look at Lavi in better light, he can tell there's a prominent red blush on his cheeks that doesn't seem to go away. Allen smiles slightly and tilts his head. "Have you been drinking?"

At the question, Lavi looks away sheepishly, bringing a hand up to rub at the back of his head. "I've maybe had one or two."

He laughs. "I'm glad you're having a good time. I was worried you got bored and left before I could even get off work."

"No way, I like it here so far!" The redhead defends promptly. "Everyone I've met is super nice, it's great."

The shorter of the two can't help but grin at that and it makes him feel a little special.

"Did you want me to get you a drink?" Lavi asks.

The other, while flattered by the offer, shakes his head. "That's okay, thank you for offering, though."

"Mm," Lavi pauses, as if he's thinking for a second. "Did you wanna get out of here, then?"

Allen blinks, not quite understanding. "Get out of here?"

"Yeah, let's go do something fun!" Lavi repeats, rejuvenated with energy. "You must be bored after working all day, right?"

Actually usually after Allen gets off of work he's too tired to really do much else other than just go home and have time to himself. He can't really remember the last time he went out to do something different. "I don't even know you, though." He counters, though there really isn't any seriousness to his words. He has the faintest hint of an amused smirk.

Lavi catches on and raises his one visible eyebrow. "That didn't stop you from meeting me in a dark and sketchy bar now did it?"

He got him there and Allen laughs. "You're right, I guess I did do that without much thought. Why don't you lead the way then?"

"Gladly." The tall redhead pushes himself off from leaning on the wall, making his way back through the door. Allen follows closely behind and they finally step outside, catching a breath of fresh air after being in the crowded bar. The concrete is still damp and it smells like rain.

"So where are we going?" Allen asks when they reach the top of the short staircase to be back on the street level.

"Why don't we go for a drive?" Lavi suggests, producing a key ring from his pocket and swinging them around his finger. The keys clink loudly as he does so.

"A drive? To where?"

"Nowhere in particular, that's what it means to cruise. I do it all the time." He answers.

He has to admit, that does sound kind of fun in a way. "Are you sure you can drive since you've had some drinks?" He remembers and asks.

"I'm fine, it was literally just two beers."

Even though that does have the potential to be somewhat dangerous, he believes him for some reason. He's not acting clearly intoxicated or anything. "Okay, if you say so. Do you have a car nearby?"

"Yep, it's parked just a couple blocks away."

Falling in step beside the mysterious man, they continue in silence as they walk, and somehow it's not awkward at all. Allen is absolutely blown away by how comfortable he feels around this traveler. Not once has he gotten a bad vibe from him and now here he is, agreeing to drive off to who knows where without a second thought. It's perhaps a little dangerous, and yet he feels a faint sense of adrenaline at the thought. He knows it's reckless and yet he doesn't want to do anything else at the moment.

They arrive at the parking lot in question a few minutes later. It's one by a twenty-four hour bank where some people park their cars overnight when they go out drinking and have to call cabs. Since there isn't really an issue with overcrowding the police aren't too strict when it comes to parking violations, anyway. The parked cars are illuminated by a bright streetlight overhead that gives off an electrical hum.

"Here we are." Lavi announces when they reach a fairly old car. It's a light brown color and it has a bit of rust on the body by the wheels and the top. It looks like it's been driven to Hell, which he guesses would make sense due to what Lavi had told him at the coffee shop. When he goes over to the other side to get in, he's a little shocked by the messiness on the inside, but not the kind of messy he was expecting. The front seats are decently clear, but the backseat is an entirely different story. There are a few bags stuffed full with things unknown on top of piles and piles of books and papers. What they could be, Allen has no idea, but the entire thing looks dreadfully unorganized and there's a small itch within him to fix it.

Regardless, the front seats are pretty clear other than a few food wrappers by the floorboards. Allen can live with that, he thinks as he climbs in and shuts the door beside him.

"Sorry for the mess." Lavi apologizes as he gets into the drivers seat, shutting the door and starting the car. It starts on the first try, thankfully.

"It's fine." Allen says, because he can't really think of anything else to say. "I assume you've had this car for a long time?" He asks.

"Yep, I bought it used way back in the day. I try my best to keep it running. It feels like a part of me, y'know? I drive it around everywhere. So far she's managed to keep up with me, so I hope I can keep it that way." As he's explaining this, they've both buckled up and he proceeds to back out of the parking spot and get out onto the street.

"Do you know where you're going?" Allen asks once he realizes that they're really not going to any other part of downtown.

"Like I said, Allen, we're going to take a cruise." As he says this, he reaches to turn on his sound system, switching it to one of the CD's in the player. What plays is what Allen can only describe as "mountain music", similar to Of Monsters and Men and other bands. He doesn't personally listen to music of this genre, but somehow, with the current situation, he can't think of anything else to play in this moment. After only a couple minutes, they're pulling out of town onto a long stretch of highway, basically into nothingness. They're surrounded by trees and even in the darkness Allen can faintly spot the raised land of the mountains that surround the small town doused in moon and starlight.

Out of his line of vision, Lavi watches him, amused and smiling. The redhead suddenly gets an idea. He rolls all four windows down, the music now being obstructed by the sound of the wind whipping through the car. The papers and other various things flap around and at first it startles him, hoping that they don't fly out the windows. Allen looks towards him, his now usually neat hair being tousled from the moving air. At first Lavi wonders if he should roll them back up but when he sees the other's wide smile, only illuminated by the radio on his center console, he can't help it, he has to grin back. Even though it's a summer night, the rain from earlier gives the wind the tiniest amount of chill that causes little goosebumps on their arms. "Why don't you try sticking your head out the window?" Lavi speaks loudly to him so his voice can be heard over the volume of the music and the wind.

Allen laughs, clear and melodic. "Like a dog?"

The redhead shrugs one shoulder, making sure to look back to the road. "I dunno, why not?" He really isn't expecting the other to do it, since it was just an impulsive thought, so his eye widens when Allen takes off his seat belt and shifts his body so that he can stick his head all the way to his shoulders out of the window. While the angle is a bit awkward, he can see the air plaster Allen's hair back from his face, exposing his excited expression as well as a thick scar across his left eye he hadn't noticed before. Lavi wonders how he could've missed it, not aware that his hair typically covers it. It makes him lose his train of thought for a second as his grin falls for only a second. He has to remind himself that it's none of his business and he knows better than anyone about people asking about something on his face that's personal (the eyepatch really does draw a lot of attention). He looks away back towards the road and laughs loudly. "There ya go!" He exclaims.

Allen, who barely hears him over the roar of the wind, laughs as well. "It feels great, I wish you could do it too!" He yells back. He closes his eyes for a brief moment, simply savoring everything that's happening to him in the moment. The cool, summer air, the adrenaline of being reckless, moving quickly through the mountain roads, the smell of rain and vegetation and all around them, it's truly incredible.

After only a few seconds longer, he carefully moves back into the car and makes sure he doesn't bump his head on the window. When he's sitting correctly in his seat again, he tries without much luck to fix his hair so it's not as crazy. This makes Lavi laugh again. "I can't believe you actually did it." He comments.

"Like you said, why not?" The other fires back, giving him another signature smug smile.

Lavi rolls the windows back up in the car and turns the radio down just a little bit so he doesn't have to yell over all the noise. "Y'know, Allen, you're alright, you know that?"

At the compliment, Allen tilts his head. "What makes you say that?"

"I dunno, maybe the fact that we literally met less than five hours ago and here you are, in my car, seeming to have a great time as we just cruise around late at night?" He offers. "And not even strictly that, I dunno, I just... When I first saw you, I thought you were more stuck up than this, in a weird way. Maybe meeting someone at work just gives off that kind of expression, what with you in your apron looking all professional. I think it's the accent, too." He snickers.

The other hums thoughtfully, thinking. "Well, like you said, you met me less than five hours ago, there are lots of things you don't know about me."

"Clearly." Lavi says. "Can you tell me anything else interesting about you?" He presses, feeling an endless fascination for the other man sitting next to him.

"You want to know more about me?" When Lavi nods, Allen hums. "I play piano?" He offers with a shrug.

"Woah for real? I've always wanted to learn an instrument, I just never had enough time to. Will you play for me sometime?"

"If you're lucky." The other says teasingly.

"What else?" Lavi presses.

"Uh..." Suddenly Allen's blanking, trying to rack his brain for literally anything else.

Lavi laughs. "Oh come on there's gotta be more than that! Any family? In school? Girlfriend? Or boyfriend?"

"Well aren't you nosy?" Allen mentions though can't help but smile. "Um, well, I live on my own, I finished high school but never went to college... I want to, someday, I'm just... feeling kind of stuck right now, if you know what I mean." Before Lavi can ask more about that he presses on. "No girlfriend or boyfriend, to answer that question."

That last bit of information definitely sparked a little bit of interest in Lavi, but he tried to not let it show much so to not ruin what they have going on in the moment. "Alright then, good to know."

"What about you, mystery traveler? You haven't really said much about yourself other than that you've lived in a lot of different places. How come? Have you been to school? Do you have a job?"

At first, Lavi freezes, his brain scrambling to find answers to give to Allen. "Um..." He begins, not so eloquently. "I do have a job, it's just... not very conventional."

Apparently that wasn't the right thing to say because suddenly Allen tenses. "You mean... illegal?" His voice is small.

"No no no! Nothing like that!" He defends quickly and the tension in Allen's shoulders visibly leave his body. "Basically I do a lot of translation work as well as my own writings. So in a way, I'm kind of an author? Or just a translator? There's not quite an exact title for it."

"Wow, a translator? How many languages do you speak?" The other wonders out loud.

"Um, well... English, German, French, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, still working on my Spanish so, I'm not quite fluent in that yet... I think that's it."

Next to him, Allen's eyes are wide in disbelief. "You THINK? That's incredible! Where and when did you learn to speak so many languages?"

They were getting into territory now that Lavi is pretty nervous to mention, though he figures he's already come this far. "From my grandfather. He, um... As I was growing up he was very adamant on having me learn tons of languages like he had when he was a kid."

"That must have been so hard..." Allen mumbles.

"It wasn't too bad, really. I'm actually gifted with a practically crystal clear photographic memory. It helped a lot when it came to learning how to read and write different languages."

Fascinated, all Allen can do is nod at all this new information. "And where's your grandfather now, if you're okay with me asking?" He was hesitant to say it, since he thinks he knows the answer, but the curiosity was eating at him.

"He died a couple years ago." Lavi answers much to Allen's suspicions. "We used to move around a lot as I was growing up, so... I figured a good thing to do with my time after his passing was to continue that tradition and do translation work, much like he did. I also got a degree in history in college that helps with translations sometimes, especially when they're historical works."

Allen stares on, his mouth permanently gaped open from all this information about the eccentric stranger. He's just so young and Allen would have never thought that this man (who could not be a day over 27) could have so much life experience under his belt. It makes him feel left behind in the dust, somehow. "That's incredible, Lavi. I would have never been able to say any of that about you."

Lavi laughs, bringing back the light atmosphere from earlier. "What, are you saying that I look stupid?"

The white-haired boy can't help but snicker at that. "Hm, not _exactly_."

"You were thinking it." He counters.

Allen leans over and punches his shoulder playfully and they both laugh. Once their conversation ceases, they're left with the gentle hum of the road and the CD's playing through the stereo. Allen's gaze lingers to once again watch out the window, trees and mountains from earlier dwindling away to expose the ocean beyond the horizon. He can see high cliffs and the gravely beaches that they'd soon come up to within only a few moments. "Are we going to the beach?" He asks Lavi.

"I was thinking that'd be a good place to end a cruise, dontcha think?"

"Well sure, it's just that it's going to be kind of cold from the rain and the waves are gonna be choppy..." Allen explains to him.

Lavi shrugs. "That's alright, we can just sit by the car and watch the waves." He offers as they pull up to a clearing where during the day people would park their cars so they can explore the ocean-side. Once they're parked and the car's turned off, the two of them get out and Lavi comes around to Allen's side. Getting the hint, Allen follows him as they both sit down on the rough gravel and lean back against the car. It's pretty dark out and it's a little hard to see, but as the overcast from earlier cleared away they're left with an expanse of sky rich in stars. That and the moonlight reflects off the water to give the choppy waves a dreamy and surreal feeling. Next to him, Lavi sighs. "It's beautiful out here."

The other hums, bringing his knees up to his chest and hugging them against his body. "Really? Even with all the other places you've been?"

The redhead laughs quietly at that. "Every place has its own form of charm." He answers.

Allen smiles at that. "That's a nice answer."

"It's the truth." The taller says with a shrug, pulling something out of his pockets as he leans against the car. They fall into a comfortable silence after that, enjoying the sound of the ocean and the salty breeze. Allen watches Lavi out of the corner of his eye, noticing the redhead scratching down notes or something in a leather-bound journal. His curiosity is definitely piqued. 

"I'm glad you asked me to meet you tonight." Allen says boldly after a few more minutes.

At Allen's words, Lavi closes the journal and pockets it. "Me too, tonight makes me feel like I may stay here awhile." Lavi says sincerely, resting an elbow on his knee and giving Allen a sideways glance out of his good eye. He meets Allen's clear and gray ones and they linger for a short moment before he sheepishly looks away. He doesn't want to be caught staring. "Y'know, Allen... Excuse me for stepping over a line and you definitely don't have to answer this, but... You never mentioned anything about your family earlier, is there a reason for that?" The redhead asks quietly, afraid to take things too far.

When there's silence, his fears only get worse with each passing second. Finally, the other sighs quietly next to him. "I was actually in the foster care system until I was about six or so. I don't remember a lot from it other than it sucked." He chuckles weakly at that. "My real parents abandoned me because I had a birth defect." As he's saying this, he removes the white glove from his left hand pulls up the sleeve of his button down shirt. Lavi had seen the gloves earlier that day in the diner but had no idea that it related to something like this. Watching carefully, Lavi's one eye widens slightly when he exposes an arm that looks like it's heavily scarred and reddish in color. "I also had this over my eye, too." He brushes the soft white hair away from his left eye to show the scar-like line going over the eye. At least that wasn't caused by a fight or anything, Lavi thinks. He lets the hair fall back over it. "I was adopted by a man named Mana and that's who I grew up with until I got out of high school." He pauses for a second and Lavi's tempted to tell him that he doesn't have to say anything else, but Allen continues. "He died in a car crash when I was 18. He always told me to keep walking and to always try to better myself. I've been trying but, I kind of feel like things have become stagnant recently. I don't quite know what it means to "keep walking" really... or at least at this point in my life I don't."

Lavi thinks about this for a long second. "Well, I think you just going through with what you're doing is good enough, y'know? Even if it seems like you're not going anywhere now doesn't mean that you won't go forward in the future. You said you had plans to go to school, right? That's something to look forward to."

Allen sighs shakily and smiles softly at him. "I guess you're right... Thanks, Lavi."

"You're welcome. Thank you for telling me, you didn't have to."

Allen barks out a laugh. "What, you don't pour your heart out to strangers you met six hours ago?"

Lavi shrugs. "Not typically, no."

They both laugh together and it's a great feeling.

"Well what about you, Lavi? You pretty much know everything about me, is there anything else I can know about you? Do you often go from city to city befriending random diner workers?"

The other snickers. "No. Not to say I never make friends when I go anywhere. I mean, that would be a pretty lonely life, right?"

"I suppose so." For some reason that fact makes Allen feel a little less unique though it doesn't necessarily bother him. "Well what about a girlfriend or boyfriend?"

"Ooh, you got me there, Allen." He pauses to sigh dramatically. "That's something that I unfortunately don't have a lot of time for."

"Unfortunately? I thought you were a no strings attached kind of person?" The white-haired boy asks.

"Mm, I am, though sometimes I do think about what it would be like to settle down eventually, y'know?"

"Yeah, I hear that..." Allen mumbles in agreement.

They both fall silent after that and Allen dares to turn his head and watch the redhead beside him who's preoccupied with staring out over the ocean. From this angle he realizes just how handsome the other really is and it makes him smile.

After a few moments Lavi sighs and begins to move so Allen quickly looks straight ahead again. "Welp, I guess we should get going by now. I can take you home." He says to Allen and gets up from the ground. Allen follows suit, trying to brush off as many rocks as he can from his butt and legs. That's one thing he doesn't quite enjoy about the beach, if he's being honest.

"Sure, that'd be nice of you." He says in response to Lavi's offer. He doesn't really want to go home, though.

He must have failed to keep the disappointment out of his voice because Lavi tilts his head to the side curiously, his lips quirking up in a smirk. "What's that tone for?" He asks, leaning his side casually against his car.

Allen moves to do the same and tries not to think about how close they're standing together. "What tone?" He plays dumb, also tilting his head to mirror Lavi's.

The redhead laughs and shrugs. "Must've been my imagination, then." Lavi's tone is infectious and it makes Allen smile. He nervously bites his lip and looks down towards his feet, wondering if he should move or not yet. Thankfully, the other doesn't move either, and they find themselves standing there facing each other a little awkwardly. "Y'know..." Lavi's soft voice cuts through the consistent sound of the ocean. "I don't have to take you home, if you don't want..." He whispers and suddenly he is all too conscious of how much closer the other has gotten.

His heart skips a beat in excitement when he says that. "I wouldn't mind staying for a few more minutes." He says back.

They fall silent and whether they're aware of it or not, they're leaning towards each other and now their faces are only a few inches away from each other. Allen can't stop glancing between Lavi's eye and lips, his pulse thrumming in his ears with the anticipation of what's to come. He knows that they only need one more push before they finally break that barrier and connect and, surprisingly, Allen is the one to close the distance and finally press his lips against Lavi's.

Since it's new territory for them, they take things slow, gently sliding their lips together to slowly but surely feel comfortable with each other. Allen's face is hot, his mind finally catching up with what's really happening. He's no goody-two-shoes; he's had his fair share of make out sessions with handsome men who have given him attention in bars. Though that was usually when he's had a couple drinks and he can safely say that he's never kissed someone he met the same day while sober. He really can't dwell on it too long though because he's so entranced in slow rhythm of kissing Lavi.

After they've tested the waters, Allen feels a hesitant hand to come and grip him on the small of his waist and that ignites something within him. He lets out a small gasp against the other's lips and that only encourages Lavi further. The redhead takes advantage of Allen's parted lips, hesitantly sliding his tongue into his mouth to take things further. He's fully ready to pull back if the action isn't received well but Allen only responds with enthusiasm. He gives Lavi the access, moving to get a better angle and meeting Lavi's tongue with his own. He also brings up his scarred hand, resting it on Lavi's neck before sliding it up further to grip at the short hairs on the back of his neck. Lavi moans in the back of his throat, suddenly surging forward to change their positions. Now he has Allen pinned against his car, hand still tightly gripped onto his waist. He also slides one of his thighs between Allen's legs, pressing forward to be as close to the other as possible. The hand in his hair just grabs on tighter as Allen has to break the kiss for a brief second to let out a surprised moan and try to catch his breath. Everything is moving so fast and it feels like he's getting whiplash. Lavi doesn't give him any time to recover though, as he immediately ducks down to start leaving biting kisses against the pale column of Allen's neck. The white-haired boy arches his whole body into Lavi and moans, baring his neck to be lavished in attention.

"God, fuck..." Lavi breathes into the crook of Allen's neck, voice husky from arousal.

"L-Lavi..." Allen responds, voice also low as he tries to discreetly grind down against the thigh between his legs.

The redhead chuckles weakly. "I didn't realize you'd be so eager..."

"Mm, maybe that means you don't know me that well yet." Allen responds cheekily, meeting Lavi's laugh with a smirk.

"God, you're so right." Lavi says and grins. He moves his thigh up further and properly presses against Allen's length, making the other lose his train of thought as he throws his head back with a silent moan. "Tell me what you want, Allen." He mumbles, already moving his hands down from his waist to the hem of his pants.

"A-Anything, just-" Allen's mind is in a million different places and he tries to focus on what's happening. "Just touch me." He finally says.

"I can do that." Lavi responds, unbuckling Allen's belt and then going after the button of his jeans. Once they're open they slip down the slightest bit, leaving Allen in just his underwear. Now there's little to no decency left for him now that he's practically exposed. Lavi doesn't give him much time to dwell on this, however, since his hand dips underneath the band and finds Allen's semi-hard cock. He wraps his hand around it and begins to stroke, trying to find a good rhythm. Allen arches into him once again, bringing the redhead's face up to his own for another bruising kiss. It's been a long time since Allen has any contact like this and it shows in just how sensitive he is. It takes no time at all for him to be fully erect, barely able to form a coherent thought as his hips chase the touch of Lavi's hand. He continues to give Allen messy kisses and litter his neck with more hickeys as he finally moves his hand up and down the other's cock, pressing the underside of the tip and causing precum to bead at the top. He then brings up his thumb to smear that and use it as makeshift lube as he quickens the pace. The aching arousal in the pit of Allen's gut has now built and built to the point where he doesn't know how much longer he's going to last.

"Fuck, Lavi, p-please..." He gasps desperately, his hands riding up under Lavi's shirt and clawing at the skin of his shoulders and back. "More...!-" He pleads, one of his legs hitching up on Lavi's hip and the back of his head hitting a little too hard on the window of his car.

The redhead obliges, quickening his hand to the point where Allen can't even kiss him anymore because he's too busy pleading and moaning, his voice raising in octave the closer he gets to orgasm. Even though he seems so close, Lavi can tell that he's still holding himself back, not wanting to completely let go. He rests his forehead against Allen's as the other pants to catch his breath. "Come for me, Allen..." He mutters to him.

With those words and the building pressure within him, it's just enough to finally push him over the edge. It's almost as if there's a snap in his gut and suddenly he's coming. With his head back and mouth open in a silent scream he feels Lavi stroke him through his orgasm, only heightening the intensity of it all. He comes on his own stomach and on Lavi's hand, not even aware of the mess he's making at that moment. He rides out the waves of his climax, only focusing on Lavi's presence and body against his, the hand on his cock, and the heavy breath on his neck as Lavi watches him come down from his high.

Finally, after what feels like forever, he comes back to his senses, his leg lowering back down to the ground so he's standing on his own two feet again. Lavi has also backed up a little so that he's now not completely pinned up against the car. His breathing is still labored, trying to gather himself. He eventually becomes aware of his surroundings; The sound of the ocean, the warmth of Lavi's body, the hard exterior of the car on his back, and, unfortunately, the feeling of his cum drying on his stomach and shirt. His face scrunches up slightly at that fact.

The redhead must've seen this because he laughs sheepishly. "Sorry, I have tissues in my car... probably." He adds.

Even though Allen is still really dazed, that comment makes him smile and laugh also. "God, I hope so." He mumbles in response.

"Um, hang on a second." Lavi says, moving away from Allen to go open the back door of his car and search for said tissues. Allen reluctantly takes his hands away from him, feeling a chill from being exposed to the air even though it's a summer night. He takes the few seconds that Lavi is away to make himself decent once again, buttoning up his pants and putting his belt back on. It feels pretty gross at the moment but there's not much he can do. Thankfully it only takes a second for Lavi to actually find the tissues and he hands him a couple. After they've cleaned up and tissues are disposed of, Allen's still feeling fuzzy and out of it after what they just did.

When Lavi comes back over to him he smiles and leans forward for another small kiss. Allen responds kindly, smiling against the other's lips as he savors the moment. "Did you want me to return the favor?" He asks lowly, watching Lavi's green eyes for a hint of an answer as he reaches out to rest his hands on the waistband of the redheads pants.

He can see his adam's apple bob slightly as he swallows hard, clearly tempted by the offer. He can clearly tell that he's still turned on from before. However, Allen sees a flash of doubt cross his mind and eventually he shakes his head slightly. "No, that's okay." He tells Allen.

Allen's face falls slightly, worried that he's done something wrong. "Is everything okay?" He asks, slightly worried as he moves his hands so that they rest on his hips instead.

"No no everything's okay," Lavi quickly tries to reassure, "I just think I should get you home, it's really late..." He tells him honestly.

A part of Allen believes him, though the other part of him still feels slightly nervous about it. He forces himself to smile and nod. "Sure, yeah, I understand." He says and hopes it comes off as believable.

That was apparently good enough for Lavi at the moment because he smiles and finally steps away from Allen. "Well, we should probably get going, then." He tells Allen who agrees quietly.

It's definitely going to be an awkward ride back.

\--

While the ride back was indeed awkward, it actually wasn't as bad as Allen predicted. Lavi has a good way of keeping conversation going, mentioning things about the town and what happened earlier that night before they hooked up. It helped Allen feel a little bit better about what just happened.

After a few minutes they pull up to Allen's apartment building. It's a nice and homey feeling place. He doesn't even know what to say, because the more time that goes by from what they did earlier, the more insecure Allen feels. It's stressing him out and reminds him of why he doesn't do anything like this. They now sit by the entrance in the car and he's not sure what to say. Nice to meet you? See you around? Thanks for giving me a handjob on the beach?

Lavi must have been able to sense the uneasiness in the car because he turns to look at him. "Hey, Allen?" He calls out.

"Yeah...?" He answers, turning to look towards who was a stranger earlier in the day and now his new lover.

Without warning the redhead leans forward over the center console, pausing for a moment to make sure he has permission before he kisses the white-haired boy softly and sweetly. Even with all the emotions Allen has been going through within the last couple hours, his heart melts at the contact and he can't help but return the kiss. When Lavi pulls back after a moment, he smiles genuinely. "Can I see you again...?"

That question makes Allen smile too and he almost can't contain his excitement from the question. "Of course." He tells him. The worry and doubt from earlier has just fallen away and all he can think about is when they're going to be together next.

\--

It's a few days later and Allen's been having a hard time focusing on literally anything since that Saturday night. The worst is when he simply sits around his apartment on Sunday since he had the day off work. He tried to distract himself by doing mindless things like go for a jog, watch some TV, play with his cat, though by the time he does all that it was barely even three o clock in the afternoon. He and Lavi had exchanged numbers that night while in the car, the redhead promising to keep in touch and message him next time they could see each other. As much as Allen wanted to text him, he didn't want to seem too clingy or desperate, so he found other things to do to make the day go by.

Going back to work that Monday helped things go by faster, though. He was a little late because as he was changing into his work uniform he was fully ready to just walk out the door before he caught a glance of himself in the mirror and paled at the sight of all the dark purple and red splotches on his neck from his Saturday night romp. There was no way he could've gone to work like that, Tyki would have an absolute field day. He's always been intrusive on Allen's life to begin with and he found out he nearly slept with someone that weekend he'd _never_ hear the end of it. As quickly as he could, he desperately searched some of his bathroom drawers for anything that could try to cover up his shame. In the bottom of some drawer he barely touches he found some sort of foundation (it's a long story as to why he has this) and he used that to strategically cover up the marks. The color was slightly off, being the tiniest bit too tan for his nearly translucent complexion. He hoped to God it was enough to not be suspicious.

It worked, thankfully, and the next couple days went by without incident. Much to his surprise, he didn't see Lavi show up at the diner even once. It left him with a dreadful feeling that maybe he had already left town... but he would've messaged him if that was the case, right? God all of this was seriously just stressing him out. It made him clumsier at work and he tended to space out more while people were talking to him, asking them to repeat themselves, messing up orders, things like that. It was kind of getting pathetic at this point.

It's currently a Wednesday and Allen's close to getting off work. Tyki actually decided to stick around and close tonight, like he's supposed to, and told Allen he could go home a few hours early. He's really grateful for the offer, though in a weird way he almost asks if he could stay anyway since work gets his mind off of things. Though opportunities like this don't come very often and he decides to just take it.

It's about ten minutes from his shift ending and the door jingles as someone comes in, making him look up from what he's currently doing behind the counter. He smiles from ear to ear when he sees that it's his best friend Lenalee, bounding in wearing her signature high-waisted pleated skirt, thigh-high stockings, boots, and a crop top that shows just a bit of her midriff that isn't covered by the skirt. Her long, tinted green hair is pulled into pigtails and bounce slightly as she comes in, spotting Allen behind the counter and grinning as well. "Allen!" She greets enthusiastically.

"Hey Lenalee!" He calls out in response, "It's literally been forever since I've seen you around, where have you been?" He nearly scolds.

She laughs, her voice high and cute-sounding. "You know that I've been at school, silly! I'm finally home for summer break!" She informs, her hands behind her back as she sways back and forth with energy. "Komui kind of held me hostage at home for a few days since he missed me but I finally managed to get away and of course the _first_ person I wanted to see was you!"

Allen laughs good-heartedly. "That does sound like Komui." He agrees, leaning his elbows on the counter so that they don't have to talk so loudly.

"So when do you get off work? We gotta hang out!"

"Luckily I literally have about five minutes left, Tyki offered to close for me tonight."

"Well isn't that noble of him?" She says and giggles. "We can go to the beach and catch up? Or maybe your apartment? Another cafe?" She fires at him, eager to get their evening started.

Memories of the beach come flooding back to him and he hopes his face doesn't turn red all the sudden. "A cafe sounds great." He says instead.

"Okaaay, I'll wait outside for you. Don't be long!" She turns on her heels and walks back out, no doubt waiting for him outside as he finishes up the last of his duties before he can leave.

Once Allen's finally finished he hangs up his apron, telling Tyki thank you one last time before he clocks out and nearly bursts through the front door to get back to Lenalee. Like she promised, she's waiting for him outside, browsing through something on her phone. When seeing that he's finally there she smiles, pocketing the device and jumping up and down slightly. "Okay, let's go! I can't wait to catch up, there's so much stuff that's been happening at school that I just _have_ to tell you about."

Allen nods eagerly, falling into step beside his friend as they navigate their town to a cafe they tend to congregate at for catch-ups ever since they were in high school. Lenalee doesn't waste any time jumping into things. She gives him an update on her classes and how well those went this past semester. Apparently she had some 8ams that were really hard to wake up for but by some miracle of God managed to still make it to most of them so that her grade wasn't effected too harshly. She mentions her friends that Allen's heard about before but sometimes it's hard to keep track of all of them since he hasn't met any of them personally yet. Overall, it's really nice to hear Lenalee thriving. After high school she went straight to work much like Allen did, though he knew that what she really wanted to do was go to school and get a degree. She's passionate about a lot of things, though she eventually decided to go into fashion design. It's definitely something Allen can see her doing. When she finally figured out a career path she wanted, she took a lot of her money that she saved up as well as some help from Komui to finally go to school. She goes to a college about an hour and a half away, just far enough to be out of range of regular visits but close enough that she can come home for breaks whenever she feels like it. If Allen is going to be truthful with himself, it was really hard to see her go when she finally moved away with all of her stuff in this tiny car she's had since she was sixteen. In a bitter way, it made him feel like he was left behind. It was just hard to go from spending so much time together to now only seeing her a couple months out of the year. Despite all that, he's very happy for her, and will enthusiastically listen and converse when she wants to talk about school.

By the time she's mostly gotten him caught up with everything she wanted to say, they're already in line at the cafe a few blocks over and they order their respective drinks before taking their seats. While Allen does drink a lot of coffee from The Ark, he prefers this place much more (he would never tell the Noah family that, though).

"So, like, now I don't know if this guy is into me or not." Lenalee says in continuation of the story she was telling him about a party she went to recently. Apparently she met up with and danced with this guy and had a good time and lately he's been ghosting her. He can tell it's definitely frustrating.

"Mm, yeah, that sounds annoying. I hate when people do that kind of thing." He answers, taking a sip of his tea.

"Right? Bleh... Anyway, speaking of guys," She starts up, putting her face in her hands as she gives Allen a cheeky look. "Is there any news for you in the romance department?" She inquires, her violet eyes full of curiosity.

Allen's mind instantly thinks of Lavi. Red hair, freckled cheeks, forest green eye, the smell of books and the crashing of waves. The torrential rain and the sound of the jukebox and his accented speech.

His face feels red and he clears his throat. "Um, nothing to say, really. You know me, all I do is work so I haven't had the chance to meet anyone new or anything." He lies.

She squints suspiciously at him. "Your dreamy expression there says otherwise, Allen. It was quick but for just a second I could see you longing!" She declares.

He laughs. "You're crazy."

"I am not because it's true! Come on, you've seemed spaced out the whole time we've been talking. And I know it's not because my stories are boring or anything." She presses, crossing her arms.

She has him there. Lenalee could make a story about paint drying interesting. As much as he wants to keep denying it, he knows there's no real point if she can see right through him. That can be a downside of knowing someone for so long. "Okay, fine," He breathes out in defeat. "I may have met someone... kind of? I don't know, it's a little complicated." He says quickly.

Lenalee gasps, nearly on the edge of her seat now. "No way, Allen, you sly dog, you did _not_ have a one-night stand with someone!" She exclaims exasperated.

"Shh!" Allen scolds her, glancing around nervously to see if anyone had overheard them. Thankfully no one turned a head or gave them a strange look. Lenalee placed a hand over her mouth regretfully at her outburst. "I did not have a one-night stand with someone." He says first things first, getting that thought out of her head as soon as possible. Though, after he says it, he finds himself wondering... did he? God, he's so confused. "Uh... not exactly, I guess."

This only makes her even more curious, nearly forgetting about her drink and pastry as she stares at her white-haired friend. "Oh my God, _please_ explain, I'm dying here."

"Okay, so, this guy comes into the diner on Saturday night..." He continues on to tell her about the events of the night. The slight flirting at the diner, him learning that he's a traveler and that his name's Lavi, the invitation to The Black Order. He even tells her about the drive in his car and how they ended up on the beach and had a real heart-to-heart talk even though they had only known each other for a little while. The whole story has Lenalee's eyes wide with surprise.

"He must've been pretty cute if even you agreed to have a late night romp with him," She laughs at her own statement. "It feels it's been forever since you've let yourself go like that and tried something new."

"Yeah, I know..." Allen agrees, rubbing sheepishly at the back of his neck. "It kind of felt good to do something like that again."

"Yeah, you used to be kind of crazy after we graduated." She states the obvious and Allen's cheeks feel hot.

"Don't remind me..." He mutters.

"So, what happened after you guys talked by the beach?" She continues, determined to not let Allen forget the story he was telling her.

 _Damn, I was hoping she was going to let me leave it at that..._ Allen thought to himself and bites his lip. "He took me home after that." He says maybe a bit too quickly.

Figures because Lenalee raises a perfectly plucked eyebrow at him. "Are you suuure? Alleeeenn, you forget that we've been friends since middle school. I know when you're lying to me."

"Ugh, damn you." He curses though there's no real bite behind it. "We, uh... we kissed..."

Lenalee's expression explodes into an excited grin. "No way, oh my God!"

He laughs nervously. "Yeah, right? Crazy..."

"Anything eeelse?" She giggles, feeling like she already knows the answer.

He can't find the words to say anything else.

"Oh my fucking God, Allen, you didn't...! You had sex on the beach with this guy?!"

"Be quiet!" He scolds again, glancing around. "We did not have sex." He says sternly because at least that much is true.

"But you guys did _something_ , it's written all over your face!"

He buries his face in his hands, dying of embarrassment. "So we did, happy?"

"Yes, absolutely! So you have his number right? When's the next time you're going to see him?" She asks.

"Um, he hasn't messaged me yet, so I haven't sent him anything either."

"Ugh, Allen, you're so dumb."

"Hey!" He exclaims indignantly.

"Sorry, you know what I mean." She tries to recover. "You don't have to wait for him to say something first, assert yourself and be the one to text him!"

"I-I don't know Lenalee," Allen starts, a real sense of insecurity creeping up on him. "I don't know how comfortable I am with doing that, I don't wanna..." He trails off.

"You don't want to ruin anything?" She finishes his sentence for him and he nods. She sighs. "Allen, I can tell that you genuinely had a good time with this guy and, yeah, maybe your night out wasn't very... conventional... and it sounds like this Lavi guy has a lot of mystery surrounding him but, you'll never know if you don't take a chance, maybe things really can work out." She says earnestly.

"Yeah, maybe..." He sighs, his shoulders moving up and down with the action. "Maybe I'll send him something later today." He says honestly, hoping that will put his friend at ease.

It seems to work because her worried expression from before is replaced with a genuine smile. "Okay, that's what I like to hear." She stares at him for a moment longer but before he can ask her what's wrong, she speaks up again. "Man... How come it feels like every time I see you your life is still somehow infinitely more interesting than mine? It's not fair."

They both laugh and Allen just shrugs one shoulder. "I don't know, that's just how it is lately, I guess."

They both smile and resume their drinks and snacks, changing the subject to something else.

\--

After they've had their drinks at the cafe, they go to the beach and walk along the shore as they talk together. It's bordering too windy for comfort since it's whipping around their hair and ruffling their clothes, though neither of them complain about it. Allen can tell that Lenalee missed the ocean after being away at school for so long.

As the sun begins to set, Lenalee says that she needs to be going. She wants to go home to spend time with her brother and get some good sleep before he starts up her seasonal job the next day. Allen understands and waves her off as she gets into her Bug car painted dark purple. She honks the horn a couple times as she backs out of the parking space, waving as well before she turns and disappears down the the cracked roads.

With her gone, Allen finds himself momentarily unsure of what to do. He turns around to look back over the ocean again, watching as the sun paints the clouds as it dips below the horizon. It's been a hot minute since he's been able to see something like this and figures he doesn't have anywhere else to be. Allen starts walking towards the small line of trees, looking for something he's gone through many times before. It would've been hard to spot to the untrained eye, but he sees it, just the smallest little clearing in the trees that leads to a trail. He steps in, walking along the foliage as the leaves and branches sway with the high winds. He begins his upward ascent and soon the trail spits him back out on a cliff that overlooks the ocean and gives him a better view of the sunset.

He gets comfortable, sitting gingerly in the tall grass and crossing his legs to get comfortable. As he sits down, he feels his phone in his back pocket and promptly retrieves it. It lights up when he holds it up and sees that he's missed a few notifications since he had been busy all day with Lenalee. After they're checked and cleared, his thumb hovers nervously over his messaging app, thinking about what Lenalee had told him earlier about texting Lavi. He does usually wait for other people to initiate contact and figures that making a change now rather than later would be beneficial. In a bout of courage, he opens the app and types in Lavi's name, staring at the black text box as he thinks of what to say. I'm out on the beach right now? What have you been up to? Ugh, it's just so frustrating...

Before Allen can spend an hour overthinking it, he types out the most boring 'Hey' and presses send. It's good enough for now, it's not like the other is going to respond right away anyway.

Or so he thought. He's startled pretty bad when his phone almost immediately buzzes in his hand after the message is sent.

**From: Lavi**

_Hey Allen!_

  
The cheesiest grin spreads across his face as he texts a response.

  
**To: Lavi**

_What have you been up to?_

  
**From: Lavi**

_Ugh you have no idea, I've been holed up in my motel room since Sunday to work. I just finished some translation projects and sent them in the mail today, so I should finally be able to escape now. What about you?_

  
**To: Lavi**

_I got off of work early and caught up with an old friend who's back from college for the summer._

  
**From: Lavi**

_What are you doing now?_

  
His heart skips a beat, reading the message over and over again.

 

**To: Lavi**

_I'm on the beach._

 

**From: Lavi**

_Where we were on Saturday?_

  
**To: Lavi**

_Yeah._

  
**From: Lavi**

_Could you use some company? I was wanting to get out of the room and do something._

  
This is it, he can just send a simple "yes" and Lavi would be on his way here. He's ecstatic.

  
**To: Lavi**

_Sure, I'm up on a cliff. You should be able to see me whenever you park._

  
He doesn't get a response, so he can just safely assume that Lavi is on his way there after that last message. He distantly wonders if Lavi's going to miss the sunset as the minutes tick by the sky gets darker and darker.

Just when he's getting worried, he distantly hears the sound of a car engine and he spins his head around to watch the road and parking area. Over the hill, he sees Lavi's car come into view (going over the speed limit, no doubt) andd finds a place to park. When he gets out of the car, he glances around for a minute, clearly trying to see if he can spot Allen. When his one eye looks up the hill and sees Allen waving at him frantically, he grins, starting to jog in that general direction. Allen watches him, extremely amused when he just bowls through the trees rather than finding the trail to get up to him. When he emerges, he looks a little roughed up from the branches snagging his clothes. He even has a leaf in his hair. It makes Allen laugh with delight. "Hey." He greets.

"Hey! Whew, this is a nice spot up here." Lavi comments, coming over to sit in the tall grass with Allen.

"I used to come up here with friends when I was in high school. Those were good times." He mentions off-handedly, leaning back on his hands. The ground is just the slightest bit soft and cool beneath them.

"It's perfect to see nice sunsets like this. I bet you got to see 'em all the time."

Allen shrugs a shoulder. "Sometimes. We could when it wasn't raining, which isn't very often."

The other snickers. "Yeah, I guess I forgot about that." He stares out over the waves for a second and as Allen watches him, he sees a small moment of content within him. "You said you caught up with a friend today?" He asks.

"Yeah, my friend Lenalee. She goes to college a couple hours away so I don't get to see her a lot anymore." He explains, hoping that he doesn't sound too upset. "Sometimes I wish that I had gone with her."

The boy next to him thinks for a second. "Y'know, Allen, school isn't the most important thing in the world."

The statement catches him off guard. "What?"

"You should stop beating yourself up about this whole school thing." As Lavi says this, he readjusts so that he's more comfortable. "School isn't the most important thing in the world. Whatever you're doing now is fine, trust me."

In a way Allen knew this, yet hearing someone actually say it out loud to him makes it more believable. "I guess I just don't like the feeling of being left behind and school just conveniently ties into that."

Lavi nods. "Yeah, I get that."

They fall into a comfortable silence, listening to the waves and watching as the sun now almost completely dips below the horizon. The whipping wind from earlier has finally calmed down to a slight and comfortable breeze. Allen watches as the dark sky starts to shine with stars and he tries to map out the constellations.

"I wish you had fireflies here." Lavi says suddenly.

"Fireflies?" Allen asks, confused.

"Yeah, they're pretty abundant in the Midwest and east of Kansas. They're really beautiful on a summer night."

"Huh, I've never seen them..." Allen admits.

Lavi smiles softly. "Maybe someday we can have a roadtrip out there to see them. That'd be fun, right?"

The suggestion has Allen's heart fluttering with adoration and excitement. "I love that idea." He says, which is absolutely true. When Lavi mentions thing that they can do together that just makes him feel like he's on cloud nine, especially after all the doubts he had of whether or not he was ever going to see the redhead again.

The sun is gone now and now the moon and stars at the things that are giving them any sort of light. Regardless, it's still really dark, and Allen knows they should be heading out soon, as much as he doesn't want to. Lavi must have thought the same thing because he gets to his feet, stretching and brushing off his pants to get rid of any grass or dirt that could have stuck to them. "Thanks for letting me come out and join you, Allen. That was a nice change of pace after being holed up for the last few days."

"No problem." The white-haired boy says, getting up as well.

"Did you need a ride home?" Lavi retrieves his keys from his pocket as he says this.

All at once Allen remembers that he didn't bring his car to work that day and that Lenalee had driven them here in her car so he'd have to walk the few miles home if he were to reject the offer. He's a little embarrassed that he forgot something like that but tries to play it off. "If you don't mind."

"Not at all. Let's go."

Allen leads them back down the path to the gravely bottom. Seeing Lavi's car parked by the ocean brings back memories of Saturday night and Lavi must have been thinking the same thing too because for a split second Allen can feel a strong tension between them. The drive back to Allen's apartment is also very reminiscent of then as well. However, instead of sitting in silence this time, Lavi plays his music through the radio again. It's a soft and smooth jazz song. Allen wonders just what other kind of music the redhead could be into.

As they pull into the parking lot, the thought of Lavi leaving again and not knowing when the next time they would be together really bothers Allen. He distantly remembers the text that Lavi sent to him earlier, about how he was done with work and that he needed some time away from the motel. It couldn't hurt to just invite him in for a movie, could it? "Did you want to come inside and hang out?" Allen says in a bout of boldness.

"You don't mind?" Lavi clarifies.

"No way, we can have some fun. Watch movies, order a pizza, something like that." He reassures. By the way Lavi smiles he figures that it's a yes. He shows him where to park in the visitor's area and soon enough they're in the elevator of Allen's building, slowly ascending to the floor he lives on. Lavi tries to drink in as many details as possible, noting that the building was probably built in the 70's. It definitely wasn't the most glamorous apartment building but it was well taken care of and didn't show it's age too harshly.

When they're let out on Allen's floor, the white-haired boy leads the way, taking him to the door that's his. It simply has the room number painted on the front with a welcome mat on the ground. He unlocks the door with a loud click as the deadbolt turns and he pushes it open, letting Lavi in first.

As he steps in, he notices that one small lamp has been left on inside the living room area but where they stand in the kitchen is pretty dark. He makes sure to stand out of the way as Allen follows him in, shutting the heavy door and flicking on an overhead light. "Make yourself at home." Allen says warmly, leaving his shoes by the door and walking in further. Lavi does the same, taking those brief few seconds to assess his surroundings. The kitchen is nearly spotless. The only thing that even indicates that someone lives here and cooks are the few dishes that sit in the stainless steel sink.

Before he can actually follow Allen into the living room area, he hears the sound of a long and loud meow coming from the hallway and within seconds he sees the culprit, trotting up to him excitedly. It's a chubby orange tabby cat, his little feet silent on the floor but the little bell on his collar gives him away immediately. Lavi has a huge smile on his face as the tabby trots up to him, meowing again and demanding attention. "Well hey little guy~" He coos at the cat as it starts to purr and rub against his legs.

"Oh that's Timcanpy." Allen says, walking towards him and scooping up the chubby cat from the ground. He just continues to purr. "Are you okay with cats?" He asks.

"Of course, I love cats." Lavi says, letting the small creature smell his hand before he goes to pet his soft little head. "Timcanpy, you said?" He clarifies.

"Yeah but I just call him Tim. He's really affectionate." He laughs as Tim tries to shift in his arms to get Lavi to keep petting him which only proves his point.

"I can see that." Lavi laughs and gives Tim a couple more pets before Allen sets him back down on the ground. Tim must be satisfied with the greeting because he silently stalks off into another part of the apartment.

That's also Lavi's cue to follow Allen further inside, taking in everything he can. Probably the most interesting and surprising item in the living room is a full-sized keyboard pushed up against the wall right in front of the window. It has a lot of equipment as well as a nice pair of headphones laying on top of it. It looks really expensive. Lavi knew that Allen played piano but maybe he actually made music in his free time?

Other than that the rest of the room was pretty standard. There was a matching black sofa and loveseat that look old but comfortable. Another interesting thing about the room was the amount of old movie posters framed and up on the walls. They were mostly old movie posters and they gave the room a cool vibe. However, Allen doesn't seem like the type to get into old films, so Lavi wonders if they belonged to anyone else... maybe his adoptive father he told him about the other night? That would probably explain it, since the time period matches up. "This place is pretty big." He notes casually as he sits on the sofa next to Allen.

The other laughs incredulously. "Seriously? It's only one bedroom and one bath."

Lavi feels his cheeks heat up slightly and shrugs. "I guess when you live out of hotel rooms any sort of place feels big in comparison."

"That's true, I never thought about that..." Allen agrees thoughtfully.

"So what's that keyboard for? It looks really fancy." Lavi asks, unable to contain his curiosity anymore.

"Oh, I just... play sometimes. It's for fun."

"Seems like a lot to casually play every once in awhile..." Lavi counters suspiciously.

"If I told you what it was actually for I don't think you'd believe me." Allen says definitively.

"Oh?" Lavi's eyebrows shoot up. "Try me." He challenges and grins.

The other hesitates for a long moment, heaving out a long sigh. "I used to be in a band." He admits shamefully.

The sentence takes a whole five seconds to process. "Wait, what?! You're serious?"

"Yeah, in high school and a little bit after." Allen's face feels so hot right now, he can't believe he just told him that. He rarely tells anyone.

"Proof or it didn't happen." Lavi says perhaps a bit childishly, crossing his arms.

"Proof? Oh I'll show you proof." He retrieves his laptop that sits on the coffee table in front of them and quickly starts it up. There's a couple minutes where he searches desperately through the photos on his hard drive, feeling Lavi watching him over his shoulder. When he finds the particular folder he's looking for, he exclaims "aha!" He opens the folder and clicks on a photo.

Lavi's mouth drops in shock. It's a photo of Allen and two other people leaning against a brick wall of a building, dressed in all black and looking at the camera blankly. Allen is on the far left and it's obvious he's a few years younger from the way his face and hair looks. In the middle is a girl just slightly shorter than him, long green hair cascading over her shoulders and complimenting her black tank top and skirt. Then, to the far right, a tall guy with long hair pulled up in a tight ponytail, his black coat draping down to his knees.

"You're being serious? This was your band? What was your band name? Were you guys any good? Are there any recordings of your songs?" He has a million questions and he literally cannot spit them out fast enough.

Allen blinks, setting his laptop back down as he tries to keep up with him. "Um, our band name was The Exorcists..." He tries not to cringe and Lavi can't help but snicker slightly. "We only played together for a few years before we split up. Mostly because our guitarist, Kanda, moved back to Japan awhile ago. Lenalee was our singer and, like I told you earlier, she was the one who went to school awhile ago. I was the synth player."

"You didn't have a drummer?"

"Not an official one. There were a couple people that would fill in for us when we did live performances."

Lavi nods, still dumbfounded by this new plethora of information. "I literally would have never guessed."

Allen laughs with a shrug. "We were only locally known. I think I was only recognized in public when I went a couple states over like, twice. We had one album we released that did decently well but that was long enough ago now that it's not even worth bringing up anymore."

"Still, that's pretty cool. I wish I could've been part of something like that."

"Yeah, it was fun while it lasted. I hope I can perform again someday." Allen shuts the lid of his laptop. "So, what did you want to do? Movie? Food? Games?"

"Maybe we can start with a movie?" The redhead suggests.

"Perfect."

Allen turns on the decently sized tv and they go through his many subscription services. At first it takes awhile for them to even settle on any sort of genre, but eventually the two settle on horror. They find something they've never seen before on Netflix and get comfortable. Allen had gotten them some popcorn and drinks so that there would be minimal interruptions once the movie starts. He also retrieves a blanket and drapes it over both of their laps.

The movie ends up being awful, but that doesn't stop them from having a good time. It actually has the opposite effect, really. They have a field day making fun of the bad acting and scenarios. At a couple points Lavi says something that his him in stitches, finding it hard to catch his breath.

Towards the end of the movie, they're a rather different position than Allen would have thought. Their empty bowls and glasses sit on the table and at some point in the film, Lavi brings his arm up to wrap around Allen's shoulders to pull him into his side comfortably. He can smell a hint of hotel soap and something else that may be cologne on Lavi's skin. It makes Allen's chest feel warm as he gladly leans into him, gently resting his head on Lavi's shoulder. It feels nice to be curled up next to someone and share each other's body heat.

The movie soon ends and the credits roll on screen, leaving the two of them in an awkward position. Allen is so comfortable that he doesn't want to get up, perfectly content with staying like this the whole night. It's also hard to ignore that with them against each other like this, the lingering bits of sexual tension that have loomed over them the whole night are now back with a vengeance. It's getting pretty hard to ignore it. "What did you wanna do now?" He asks even if he already has in mind the exact thing he wants.

"Mm, I dunno." Lavi says, his hand moving down to caress Allen's waist as a clear indicator that he doesn't want to move either.

Allen lifts his head up from Lavi's shoulder, meeting his gaze. From this close up he actually fully appreciate the unique intricacies of his face. His eyelashes and eyebrows are a true ginger color, only complimented by his green eye with pupils blown wide and the light freckles dusting his cheeks and nose. He can feel Lavi watching him as well, not-so-subtly shifting his gaze back and forth from his eyes to his lips. This only encourages Allen to lean a little closer, parting his lips the slightest bit to indicate what he wants.

Unlike the night on the beach, Lavi is the one to close the distance this time and kiss him. It makes Allen's eyes flutter shut, enjoying the firm press of lips against his. They continue like this lazily for awhile, the sense of heat and urgency from the other night replaced with simple exploration, almost as if they're really getting to know each other. Lavi's lips are slightly chapped and yet still soft, making Allen's pulse thrum with admiration. His senses are completely overwhelmed with Lavi. His masculine scent, his firm hand on his body, his lips moving slowly with purpose. It's all overwhelming and yet not enough at the same time.

When Allen feels Lavi's tongue hesitantly poke out and touch his bottom lip, he inhales with a soft gasp, his lips parting more as he does so. The other takes the chance, pressing more firmly and sliding his tongue into Allen's waiting mouth. By this point, the white-haired boy has moved so that he's not relaxing against Lavi anymore, instead he's propped himself up more so that he can reach him more comfortably. When Lavi's other hand comes to grip him on his hip, Allen feels a bout a boldness within him that causes him to move. He briefly breaks their kiss, rising up to be on his knees and swinging one leg over to straddle Lavi's lap. He lowers himself down to sit again, the position giving him a small height advantage over Lavi. He wraps both arms around the other's neck, glancing down at him seductively before kissing him again. Their passion from just a few seconds ago returns tenfold and Lavi's hands continue to roam over Allen's torso.

Allen's scarred hand slides up the back of Lavi's head, mussing up the hair there and making Lavi feel even more ambitious. They finally part with a quiet smack, both panting heavily as their hooded eyes watch one another. Lavi leans forward to kiss the shorter's jaw and down the column of his neck, bringing back a familiar excitement Allen felt on Saturday. For a second Allen almost loses himself in the sensation of the other sucking and biting at his skin. Thankfully he's not too far gone because he suddenly remembers how much hell he went through this week when trying to cover up the other marks the redhead was careless enough to leave on him. "Lavi..." He whines breathlessly, "Let up a little." He mumbles even if his body language betrays his words. He's trying to be serious and yet he still tilts his head to give him the room he needs to continue.

He feels a small gust of air against his skin when Lavi laughs quietly, making him shiver from the sensation. "Sorry, I can't help it." He defends weakly, though his next few kisses are significantly softer.

Having Lavi here in front of him like this in his own apartment has the arousal in Allen's gut literally overriding any sense of rational thought he has. The hand he has in Lavi's hand pulls softly, just enough to get the other's attention and to get him off his neck. "Come on." Allen declares, moving off of his lap clumsily. Lavi's hands reluctantly slide off of Allen's waist as they're grabbed by him, pulling him up off the sofa to follow him. It's pretty hard to think straight at the moment so he just lets him lead him off to the bedroom (he's assuming).

It only takes a few steps for them to reach the hallway and Allen opens an old wooden door that was closed previously that leads into the one bedroom in the apartment. The room is already lit by lots of soft lighting made by a floor lamp and another desk light that's tucked into the corner. Lavi loses his train of thought for a second, simply taking in just how insane his room is. Whatever he was expecting, it definitely wasn't this. It's illuminated by soft light, but everything is so dark and black. His mouth hangs open, wondering if he just walked into a medieval dungeon with some British punk band posters up on the walls. At least now he knows Allen's taste in music.

"What the hell..." He mutters.

"What's wrong?" Allen asks him.

Lavi knows that he can ask about the interior later, since he has other things in mind when he sees Allen sit gingerly on the navy blue comforter, looking up at him through his snow-white lashes suggestively. It's almost criminal and Lavi has to swallow thickly at the sight. He boldly walks forward, climbing over Allen on the bed and engaging in another kiss while he does so. Soon, they're on the center of the bed, Lavi resting on his forearms and alternating between kissing Allen's lips and neck. Allen's hands are everywhere on him, scratching down his back through the material of his shirt before they slide up under the hem and connect with his bare skin. This makes Lavi shudder, feeling the blunt nails and his scarred hand feel his chest and stomach. By the way the other has hiked his shirt up to bunch under his arms he sits up for a quick second, easily shedding the article and tossing it somewhere to the floor. He tries not to waste another second and leans down again, their mouths meeting in a sloppy and uncoordinated kiss that's all tongue and heavy breathing.

As Lavi's lost in the task at hand, suddenly Allen sits up slightly, using his strength and grip on Lavi's torso to flip them around so that Lavi now lays back on the soft pillows. He can't help but laugh softly at the change in position. He's been in a situation like this a decent number of times and yet as Allen stares down at his shirtless form, disheveled and ravenous, he feels that sense of eagerness tug on his nerves. With their switched positions, Allen's now the one to leave kisses down Lavi's neck, causing him to close his eyes and bliss and let a small, breathy moan pass his lips. He doesn't stop there, though, continuing down to bite and suck on Lavi's distinct collar bones and down his chest. He's almost positive that he can hear and feel his excited and insistent heartbeat through his skin.

As he's about to reach his navel, he lifts his head up, pulling Lavi out of the moment for a second. He opens his one eye, looking down to see Allen sitting back further down his legs, his confident hands finding the fly of his pants and pausing. "Can I...?" He starts, his voice low and husky.

That makes Lavi swallow again and he nods almost a little too eagerly. "Please." He responds, letting his head fall back onto the pillow behind him as the white-haired boy unbuttons his jeans and starts to tug them down his hips. He lifts up his pelvis to help with that endeavor, his pants now joining his shirt on the same place on the floor. He's practically almost completely exposed now, left in his boxer-briefs that don't leave much to the imagination. All of their kissing and touching has really gotten him worked up, embarrassingly enough.

Allen doesn't seem to mind at all, though, actually looking pretty excited by this. A warm hand comes to press against his erection still confined by his underwear, making Lavi's whole body go rigid for a second. "Ah, fuck..." He breathes without being able to stop himself.

Allen likes the sound of this greatly, gently stroking him through his underwear for a few more seconds before he finally pulls down on the hem, exposing the head of his cock that leaks wetly against his stomach. Feeling the cool air of the room against his skin makes him feel particularly exposed. Now, with the final barrier out of the way, Allen's hand against his cock is indescribable. Most of all the redhead is just completely floored by the amount of confidence and boldness that he possesses. With a sure hand, Allen grips his cock at the base, slowly stroking him to full hardness. Every other stroke he'll circle the head, watching as precum gathers at the tip and wets his hand enough to keep going.

Lavi knows that he's flushed from his cheeks all the way down to his neck and chest, panting harshly as the consistent rhythm starts to build up inside of him. It's been awhile since he's slept with anybody so, unfortunately, he doesn't think he's going to have as much stamina as he'd necessarily like. "Allen..." He tries to warn but it just comes out as a long and needy moan.

Mercifully, Allen's hand does stop, though what he does next catches him off guard. Lavi tries to lift up his head to watch as Allen starts to shift his position, moving from a sitting position to now lower himself down so that his mouth is only a few inches away from his erection. Lavi's foggy mind short-circuits at the sight and an intense wave of arousal goes right to his cock.

"Is this okay...?" Allen asks and Lavi swears he can feel the warm breath on him.

He just nods pathetically, draping an arm over his eyes to try and hide the embarrassment from how desperate he's being.

Lavi doesn't see this but Allen smiles and almost laughs at the sight before once again focusing on the task at hand. Holding Lavi at the base, he experimentally laps at the head, noting the bitter taste of cum on his tongue. This doesn't deter him, though, as he then properly closes his lips around it and hollows out his cheeks. He only takes a bit at a time, getting used to the feeling as he alternates between licking up and down the shaft and taking it into his mouth and moving his head in a bobbing motion.

As he gets into a rhythm, Lavi finds it harder and harder to keep himself under control. One hand stays up by his head, gripping onto the pillow while the other instinctively finds the back of Allen's head. He tries not to apply too much pressure as to not trap him there except it's hard to think about that constantly, especially when he goes deeper than he has before and he swears he can feel himself hit the back of Allen's throat. He accidentally cants his hips up suddenly at the sensation, trying to push himself deeper into Allen's mouth. This startles the other and he has to remove himself completely for a second to catch his breath.

"Shit, sorry..." Lavi pants out pathetically, biting his lip.

"It's okay, I just wasn't expecting it." Allen mumbles in reassurance, his voice an absolute wreck. He barely gives Lavi any time to collect himself again before he goes back down, taking him even further than he had just a few seconds ago.

In a rush of disbelief, Lavi is suddenly aware that Allen doesn't have a gag reflex, otherwise he wouldn't be able to recover that quickly. He establishes a rhythm now and Lavi's hand grabs onto Allen's hair, encouraging him to exaggerate his motions when he goes up and down on his cock. The room is filled with the lewd sounds of the blowjob, Lavi's panting and the soft moans in the back of Allen's throat as he pleasures the redhead.

Embarrassingly, this doesn't last long before Lavi has to start pulling on Allen's hair to get him to stop. "F-Fuck, Allen - " He cuts himself off with a particularly loud moan as the white-haired boy swallows around him. "I-I'm gonna come, shit-" He manages to get out the warning.

Instead of quickly pulling off, Allen just quickens his pace, determined to make Lavi come. When Lavi realizes this is his goal, his hips start jerking again to tip himself over the edge, his moans steadily raising in pitch and octave as he gets closer. Allen moans around his cock and the sensation of being in his mouth combined with the vibration of the moan is finally what does it. He thrusts his hips up one, two, three more times before they stutter to a stop, the intense pleasure washing over him in waves. His back arches and he sees white as his eyes squeeze shut, mouth agape with a silent moan. Allen swallows every shot of cum that he gives him, still moaning lewdly as if it's his favorite thing to do in the world.

When the last wave leaves him, Lavi collapses back onto the bed, breathing heavily to finally catch his breath. His mind feels like a pleasant hum of static right now and he barely takes notice when Allen gingerly pulls off of him, wiping whatever may have been left behind with the back of his hand. In his state of bliss, Lavi's eye opens blearily as he watches Allen (still fully-clothed, mind you) lean over to his nightstand and retrieve a tissue, cleaning himself off before tossing it into the small trashcan. The bed dips under his weight as he comes to lie next to Lavi, watching him as he slowly but surely comes back down to Earth.

"... Wow." Lavi breathes quietly after a minute, laughing breathily at himself and at the way Allen watches him.

This makes Allen grin as well, feeling particularly satisfied with himself. "Good?" He asks.

"I mean... obviously." The redhead says. "Where did that come from?"

Allen shrugs a shoulder. "Mm, returning the favor from Saturday."

Lavi blinks at him. "Oh?" Another laugh, "I'm pretty sure whatever I did didn't even compare to that."

"Well..." Allen thinks for a moment before he leans in close to Lavi's face again. "The night isn't over yet." He murmurs and Lavi's jaw drops at the boldness.

"You're insatiable." He declares.

"What? Too much of an old man to go for another round?" Allen challenges darkly.

That makes Lavi narrow his eye at him. "Oh you're on." He announces, shifting so that once again he's on all-fours over the shorter. "First, we have to get some of these clothes off. I'm practically naked and you've still got your shirt on." He says, already tugging at the hem of Allen's shirt for it to be removed.

Allen laughs and easily removes the offending article, tossing it aside. Much like Lavi, Allen is much more lean and muscular than his outer appearance may give off. He's definitely still small and skinny, but Lavi can see the faintest trace of muscles in his chest and stomach. The redhead tries to appreciate his soft, creamy skin in the dim light of the room. Allen has to be one of the most pale people he's ever seen and yet, it feels weird imagining him any other way. With the shirt removed he can also see the true scope of his scarred arm. It runs all the way up to the high point of his shoulder, even fanning out slightly onto his chest. He tries not to stare but it's just really fascinating to him. He pulls his eye away quickly and as they kiss each other hungrily, Lavi can almost taste himself of Allen's tongue and he has to admit that in itself is pretty arousing. As he's momentarily distracted by kissing, he feels the insistent press of Allen's erection through his pants on his thigh, making him smirk against his lips. He must've gotten really worked up from sucking him off.

Within a couple minutes Allen is also in only his underwear, leaving them both on equal levels of exposed. With only a thin layer between them now, Lavi takes his time teasing the white-haired boy until there's a noticeable wet spot on the front of his boxers. All the while he leaves bruising kisses on Allen's chest and collar bones where he knows they won't be seen by anyone else. If Lavi had it his way, he'd mark up his whole neck, but that's just because he's admittedly the tiniest bit possessive.

There comes a point where Allen whines, arching his body against his. "L-Lavi..." He stutters and swallows a moan that threatens to bubble up. "Will you... please...?" He babbles incoherently.

Lavi stops the movement of his hand, watching him curiously. "Will I what?" He asks in a teasing way. He's genuinely curious but he also likes to see Allen squirm.

This makes Allen's face feel even more hot, if that's even possible. He bites his lip, thinking of how to word his request without sounding completely desperate. "Did you want to...?" He trails off again and almost sighs in frustration. "Go all the way." He finally spits out.

Once again Allen's boldness never fails to surprise Lavi. He pauses for a second, his heart racing at the thought. "O-Only if you're okay with it." He says, his voice hoarse. If he wasn't hard before he feels like he could cut through solid oak now.

Allen nods, glad that he managed to get across his request without completely dying of embarrassment. "I want to." He tells him.

With the okay from both of them, they strip down to be completely naked. Before Lavi can ask where the stuff is, Allen leans over to his nightstand and retrieves a bottle of lube and a condom. At least he didn't have to ask, Lavi thinks. He gets on with it quickly, taking the bottle and popping open the cap to pour some onto his fingers. It's cold so he procrastinates for a second to try and warm it up before continuing. He shifts forward between Allen's legs and the other easily spreads them and holds up his thighs to give him access.

Allen looks so good like this, almost angelic. His hair nearly blends in with the white of the pillow cases and the pink hue his skin has from being flushed is nearly ethereal. He turns his head to the side to try and muffle a gasp into the bed as one of Lavi's fingers find the puckered ring of muscle, gently pressing forward and the lube helps it give way to the intrusion. At first Allen tightens around him, trying to get used to the feeling. It's definitely been awhile. He wills himself to relax which is then rewarded with Lavi gently starting to move his fingers inside of him, opening him up further.

Eventually, a second finger joins the first and slides in, taking all the breath out of him. With two now, it's starting to feel really good, especially when the redhead scissors his fingers and attempts different angles to finally hit that spot inside of him. It makes Allen gasp loudly, back arched off the bed with a silent scream. "Th-There...!" He exclaims.

Lavi smirks, repeating the same motion as before, making sure to hit that bundle of nerves. The insistent drag of Lavi's fingers inside of him now has Allen panting with need, biting his lip and the back of his hand to hold back his moans. It's hard to hold himself back but he tries the best he can when he knows that he has neighbors. As if the sensation couldn't get any better, a third finger joins the other two and now he really does feel stretched and completely full. It takes a shorter amount of time to adjust, still lost in the blinding pleasure. There comes a point where Lavi's hand goes faster and faster, bringing him so close to the edge and he hasn't even touched himself. He moans weakly as the tension continues to build in his lower stomach and he's starting to wonder if Lavi even plans to properly fuck him. "L-Lavi - " He calls out, cut off by his own moan when he once again hits that spot inside him, "I'm gonna cum..." He warns, his hand fisting the sheets below them.

As he's nearly seconds away from release, the fingers are taken out, leaving Allen empty and uncomfortable. He can't help but squirm at the loss of sensation, trying not to whine greedily. He lifts his head up just in time to see the redhead retrieve the condom from where it sat on the bed, ripping it open and sliding it down his shaft. He hasn't flagged the entire time, the mere anticipation enough to keep him at attention. He grunts as the condom goes down since it's the first time he's touched himself in awhile. As he applies more lube, he has to remind himself to not get lost in the pleasure of stroking himself.

Finally, he scoots forward once again, grabbing onto the back of Allen's thighs and pushing them down towards his body. Allen takes pride in the fact that he's flexible, always remembering to stretch every time he works out or goes for a run. Allen watches as Lavi brings down a hand to align himself with Allen and they both hold their breath. Lavi's cock pushes against him and the stretched muscle gives way to the head, still tight even after all the preparation they did. "F-Fuck..." Allen swears quietly, squeezing his eyes shut for a second as he tries to get accustomed to the intrusion.

Meanwhile, Lavi has paused his movements, nearly shaking with the effort to hold himself back. It's just so tight and warm but he will absolutely not move until Allen says something to him. "Are you okay?" He remembers to ask, breathing labored.

The white-haired boy nods, swallowing thickly. "Y-Yeah, just give me a second." He tells him.

Lavi nods, moving so that he's holding himself up with body hands on either side of Allen's body. There's about a minute of shifting on Allen's part. He finally relaxes and gradually he starts to push back onto Lavi's length, penetrating himself further. The ebb of pain fades and replaces itself with pleasure which is also helped by the fact that Lavi reached down and began stroking him slowly to relax him.

"Lavi - M-move." He says definitively and the other doesn't need to be told twice. He experimentally pushes forward once again, feeling himself sink further into the tight heat. He groans quietly, still taking it slow by thrusting in long strokes. The white-haired boy can't hold back at this point, small moans pouring from his mouth with almost every thrust. The room becomes flooded with the sounds of moans, grunts, the slick sound of Lavi's movements, and the bedsprings squeaking. If Allen were even somewhat conscious of that at the moment he'd try to be more quiet since he knows he has neighbors, but he literally could not be bothered.

Lavi's thrust start getting faster and more shallow, now jerking Allen up the bed with the force of them. Allen's hands press up against the headboard behind him, helping him to push himself back down and meet Lavi's thrusts to drive him even deeper. Trying to remember what angle his fingers were at before, the redhead adjusts slightly and it only takes a couple tries before Allen cries out, his eyes flying open with surprise. "O-Oh my god - Lavi!" Allen gasps. Lavi doesn't need to be told again. He grips so tightly onto Allen's hips that he's almost sure that he's going to leave bruises as he continues to thrust mercilessly into the tight heat. He's thankful that he had gotten off earlier or else he's sure that he wouldn't have been able to last this long.

As Allen's moans start raising in octave the rougher he gets, Lavi grips his cock with one hand, stroking in time with his eager thrusts. This is essentially what undoes Allen. The warm and strong enveloping him, pressing against his head as Lavi's cock continues to hit his prostate sends him over the edge. With a broken moan, his back arches sharply, coming in spurts all over his taught stomach. In the height of his orgasm he's barely even aware of what's going on right now, just that Lavi is still fucking into him roughly as he chases his own release.

The redhead helps him ride out his orgasm, still stroking him until he's on the verge of oversensitive. Seeing Allen come undone below him makes something inside him snap, his thrusts losing their consistency until he stutters to a stop, groaning and mumbling obscene comments as he buries himself as far as he can and spills into the condom. Allen can feel the force of Lavi's orgasm by the way his thighs shake against his ass, both hands still holding a vice grip on his hips.

There's a few moments of heavy breathing as the afterglow looms over them, thick and satisfying. Lavi nearly collapses onto him, barely even able to hold himself up on his forearms so that he doesn't collide with Allen's body. That would definitely leave a mess all over himself as well. Now that he's closer, though, the white-haired boy wraps both his arms around his neck, pulling him down for a passionate kiss. It isn't mainly tongue and teeth like one's earlier, instead, it's a constant and sliding of lips against one another, basking in the presence of one another as they regain their senses.

Lavi moves back and pulls out, making Allen shudder at the odd feeling. While the redhead ties off the condom and tosses it into the trashcan, he also grabs a few tissues from the nightstand as well, letting Allen clean himself off.

Wordlessly, they both move to be under the covers, the sweat drying on their skin making them slightly chilly. Thankfully Allen doesn't have to wonder for too long whether or not he can cuddle up next to the redhead because Lavi reaches out, pulling him into his chest with a dopey smile. Allen smiles as well, admiring Lavi's post-sex bliss. Even messier than usual hair, the faint red marks he had left on his neck and chest... he can even see the scattering of freckles on his shoulders and arms that he'd missed earlier in their eagerness. He traces them with his fingers, wondering what it would look like if he connected them together. Would they make little constellations?

"Y'know, Allen," Lavi's quiet voice cuts into the drone of the air conditioner and their breathing, causing him to glance up expectantly. "You really are somethin' else. You surprise me all the time."

He thinks he's being complimented though the choice of words has him doubting. His eyebrows raise slightly in question. "Is that a good thing...?" He clarifies.

Lavi laughs, light and airy. "It's an amazing thing. I don't think I've ever met someone as interesting as you, it's really incredible."

He blushes. Why? He's not sure. They literally just had sex and yet the other simply telling him that he's incredible has him internally exploding. He buries his face in the crook of Lavi's neck, softly inhaling the scent of cologne, books, and sweat on his skin. "You're incredible too." He tells him honestly.

They lay together like this without any other words between them, just their steady breathing and Lavi's gentle hands running up and down Allen's back soothingly. It doesn't take long at all before his eyelids flutter closed, sleep about to grip him any second. Lavi isn't far behind, Allen distantly notes, since eventually the hand comes to a slow stop and his breathing evens out as he drifts into unconsciousness.

\--

When Allen wakes up the next morning, his immediate thought is that he never wants to get out of bed. He doesn't think he's ever been more comfortable. The summer sun coming through the window warms his face and body in contrast to the cool, air-conditioned room. He probably would have stayed put if he didn't slowly come to realize that the bed next to him is empty and cold. His eyebrows draw together in confusion, sitting up and looking around the room. He tries to rub the sleep from his eyes and the blankets fall down to his lap. He's suddenly also aware that he is still very much naked. This with the sore sensation in his back and bottom only encourage the memories from last night to come flooding back to him. Even though Allen's cheeks warm at the thought, there's a cold feeling in his stomach. Did Lavi just leave afterwards? Was it really a one-night stand? Would he see him again any time soon?

The anxiety threatens to bubble up and overwhelm him and yet he's saved by the distant sound of pots and pans clanking together in the kitchen area. He sighs, the worry rolling off his shoulders. He just went to get something to eat, is all.

Allen throws on some sleep clothes he failed to get into last night before emerging from his bedroom, his feet softly padding on the carpet as he walks. He looks into the kitchen and is met with the sight of Lavi in the clothes he wore yesterday cooking over the stove. His shirt is more wrinkled and his hair is pulled back with a black headband that's tied in the back. Upon noticing Allen's presence, he grins widely. "Good morning."

"Morning." The other responds, taking a seat at the breakfast bar.

While Lavi cooks, Timcanpy circles around his feet, rubbing against his ankles and meowing loudly. "I think your cat's hungry, he's been like this for twenty minutes."

"Tiiim..." Allen scolds lightly, rising to his feet to scoop up the fat tabby in his arms. He's only met with purring. Lavi snickers as he refills the bowl of food and water and soon soft little crunches join the sounds of cooking while Timcanpy has his breakfast. Pointedly, Allen sits back down in his seat with a huff. "Insatiable." He mumbles.

"I hope you don't mind that I kind of raided your fridge, I figured you'd be hungry." The redhead tells him, flipping over the bacon in the pan and stands back as it sizzles and pops.

"I don't mind at all. It was going to be eaten at some point, anyway."

Lavi nods. "Oh, also, you're phone has been going off in the living room. I didn't want to wake you up but you probably need to check it."

Curiously, Allen slides down from the chair to wander into the living room. It's still a state of disarray from how they left it last night, like cups everywhere as well as a few wrappers from snacks. As Lavi said, his phone is sitting on the side table and he promptly unlocks it. His notification page is full of missed calls, particularly from one number. His stomach drops when he realizes just what the number is... and also what _time_ it is. It's well past ten o clock in the morning and he's over two hours late for his shift. It feels like his body is on hyper drive as he returns the call, holding the device up to his ear as he shuts himself abruptly back into his bedroom. He can hear the speed dial tone and the ringing on the other end, only making him feel more on edge as he waits for an answer.

Finally, a click. "Well look who decided to call me back. Did you enjoy your lazy morning?" Tyki's drawling voice comes through the receiver, the lively sound of the diner in the background.

"Tyki!" Allen announces, slamming open drawers to find a pair of pants and a work shirt. "I am sooo sorry, the time got away from me! I'll be there in like, fifteen minutes? Can you give me until then?" He bargains, trying to awkwardly hold the phone between his shoulder and ear as he puts on his pants.

He can hear Tyki chuckle lowly and that only makes him more uneasy. "It's okay, Allen, don't worry about it."

That makes the white-haired boy stop dead in his tracks with his pants still halfway up his thighs. "... what?"

"I said it's fine. It was pretty annoying for about the first hour when we got slammed, but I called in Rhode to cover your shift and we've got everything covered now. You can probably even take the day off, if you want to."

Allen's silent for a second, trying to process what he's being told from his boss. It just seems way too suspicious. "Am I being fired right now?" He asks abruptly.

Tyki barks out a laugh. "God, no. That would be a terrible business decision, really."

He shifts so that he's actually holding the phone now. "So... you're giving me the day off? For real?"

"Yeah, I guess I am. It's kind of thanks to Rhode that I'm going this easy on you, so, don't make a habit out of it, alright? I expect you here on time tomorrow."

Allen nods quickly. "Of course! It won't happen again!" He assures, still feeling the need to apologize profusely.

Tyki says a brief goodbye and the line goes dead once the call is disconnected. Allen is still in a state of shock for a moment, still trying to process everything that just happened. When it finally catches up to him that he really does have a free day, he plugs in his phone to charge and finishes getting dressed.

When he emerges from the bedroom back into the kitchen, Lavi has already set out plates of food for them and is grazing on his own. When he sees Allen enter the room and take a seat, he tilts his head in questioning. "Is everything okay...?" He asks.

"... I think so." He answers.

Lavi raises an eyebrow. "Oh? What does that mean?"

"Well... I was late to work, but, instead of getting punished for it, I got the day off?" It comes out more like a question than a statement.

"... Did you just get fired?" The redhead wonders out loud.

That makes Allen laugh from the coincidence. "I thought the same thing but I guess not."

Lavi smiles easily at that. "Well then just don't question it and enjoy the day off."

Allen nods, finally sitting down with the redhead to eat his breakfast that's been waiting for him. "Amen to that."

They eat together in relative silence, enjoying each other's company. It feels nice to have someone else cook for him, the white-haired boy thinks distantly. The breakfast wasn't anything spectacular, but it did manage to hit the spot. As they both gather up their dishes and take them towards the sink, Lavi speaks up. "So what are you going to do today?"

Allen found himself wondering the same thing ever since he got the news. It was so rare to get a sudden day off that he hasn't even gotten that far. "I don't know, really... probably just have a lazy day in since I don't get those very often."

"Is it cool if I hang around with you, then?" Lavi asks suddenly.

Allen blinks at the question. For some reason he automatically just thought the redhead would stay with him to begin with, though having a verbal confirmation is probably necessary. "Of course, if you don't mind, that is."

The redhead grins and Allen finds himself weak to it for a second. "Not at all, better than sitting around by myself."

Once the dishes are done, the two are about to settle down for some movies and snacks. However, when Allen goes to open his fridge, he's met with a sad sight of empty shelves with only a few condiments in the door. "Damn..." He mumbles under his breath, "We're going to have to go get some things if we're going to stick around here all day. We wiped out my fridge last night." He tells Lavi in the other room.

"That's fine with me, we'll just stop at a corner store or something."

"We can take my car this time since you've been driving me around lately." The British boy offers, grabbing his keys from their designated spot on the counter.

Lavi glances outside through the large window, quiet for a second. "Why don't we just walk?" He offers.

"Walk...?" Allen repeats, his eyebrows pulling together. He looks past the other outside too to just confirm that it is indeed still pouring rain. "It's raining." He reminds him.

A shrug. "So? It'll be nice."

Allen really wants to protest further, and yet he can't really find the right argument to justify throwing a fit about it. "Alright, if you say so... I have a couple umbrellas we can use."

He retrieves them from a closet by the front door and they exit the apartment building out into the pouring rain. Together they fall into step side-by-side, their umbrellas bumping into each other every once in awhile. They walk in a comfortable silence since all they're really able to hear are their feet splashing in the shallow puddles and the heavy droplets falling onto the nylon material over their heads. While Allen's shoes and pant legs still get slightly wet, a weird part of him thinks it's nice to be out walking in the weather like this. He can't really explain why, though.

As they eventually enter town, they only have a couple blocks until they reach a small hub of shops when Lavi turns to him with a mischievous expression. "Race you the rest of the way?" He says.

Allen's eyebrows shoot up, not sure if he heard him right. "What? Race?"

"Yeah! One two three go!" He exclaims without waiting for confirmation, his boots smacking on the concrete under them.

"W-Wait!" Allen claims, instinctively moving his legs faster to try and keep up with the crazy redhead. Admittedly he isn't running very fast, partly due to the fact that he's pretty sore from the night before, but also because the umbrella keeps catching the wind and slowing him down. Lavi must be having the same issue as well because he stops for a second, closing the umbrella and holding it in his hand. As the water starts dotting his shirt and matting down his hair, he looks less than bothered as he smiles back at Allen expectantly. "Come on, you too!" He calls out.

"What? But I'll get wet!" He protests indignantly.

"A little water never hurts anybody." Was the easy response.

Allen's mouth drops open in preparation to fire out a comeback but effectively closes almost instantly. Something about the current situation seriously compels him to listen. Maybe it's way Lavi seems so at ease, or how his kind eye expectantly watch him, or how he suddenly craves the feeling of cool water on his skin. Without dwelling too much, he lowers his own umbrella, pulling it closed. Immediately he feels the rain on his back and on top of his head and a small crack of thunder rolls overhead.

The other whoops at him which only makes Allen laugh, feeling so childish and silly about the whole thing. With their umbrellas gone, they once again dash into a full on sprint, this time experiencing no wind resistance. It's much easier to run this way, Allen notes, though it can be hard to see since he's running into the rain at top speed. On the last leg of their race, they zoom by a few people, walking normally with their own things to keep dry. Thankfully the two of them don't stick around long enough to see the strange glances and glares they get from them. Finally, at the end of the street, the small corner store comes into view, and in a last ditch effort to pull ahead Allen pumps his legs even faster. Miraculously he pulls ahead, no doubt beating Lavi to take shelter under the store's veranda. He makes a small shout of victory and laughs.

Lavi takes shelter with him, breathing heavily and trying to catch his breath. "Damn, I thought I had that one in the bag..." He mourns, leaning down to put his hands on his knees as he pants.

Allen grins, feeling really satisfied with himself. "Well I _do_ work out." He teases.

"Not fair, I don't have much time for that anymore. I do when I can but it's pretty hard when I travel all the time." The redhead defends himself, standing up straight once again.

At the casual mention of Lavi's travels, the adrenaline and giddiness from before disappears and Allen's expression falls. Every time he's reminded that Lavi's simply a traveler passing through town and could leave at any moment is like a bucket of ice water being dumped on him. The thought alone leaves him feeling colder than he does at this exact moment with his clothes and hair uncomfortably sticking to his skin because of the rain.

He tries to mask his uneasiness when Lavi finishes combing through his wet hair with his hands and looks at him. "C'mon, let's go in and dry off." He says, approaching the front doors to the shop. Allen glances up at the happy yellow sign that reads Lee's Corner Store. It's a business owned by Lenalee's brother, Komui. It also happens to be the place she works at when she's home from college for the summer. No doubt she's probably working at this time of day and Allen's completely unprepared for the conversation he's going to have when she sees him like this. Not only does he look like a lunatic who ran around in the rain, but she also hasn't even met Lavi yet. From the little description he told her at the cafe yesterday she'll recognize him in an instant. There's obviously not many people in town with bright red hair and an eyepatch.

Well, something like this was probably going to happen eventually, it may as well be now. He follows Lavi through the doors, the little high-pitched bell signaling their arrival. It's around one o clock on a weekday so there aren't very many people in the shop, just an old woman slowly making her way through the aisles as she browses. Compared to other stores, it's pretty average, though they do try to sell more local brands to set them apart.

Immediately Allen's eyes begin darting back and forth, keeping his guard up in case Lenalee is working the floor at the moment. He's relieved when no one comes forward to greet them which means she's probably at the register.

Lavi quickly walks in, already venturing towards the snack and food section. Allen follows, picking out things here and there that he needs for the house. He has to remind himself not to get too much, especially since he forgot to grab a hand basket by the door. When he's picked out what he and Lavi want for the apartment, the redhead stops abruptly by the toiletries. He picks up a toothbrush and toothpaste as well as a couple other items. "Y'know, since you didn't have any extra at your place." He says.

Allen blushes, feeling extremely inconsiderate all the sudden. He so rarely has people over that he doesn't even bother to keep that stuff around anymore.

As they walk towards the check out section of the store, Allen internally braces himself for what's to come. To be expected, Lenalee stands behind the counter, looking pretty bored. She lazily watches the rain out the window. However, when she hears the sound of footsteps approaching, she stands up straighter, instantly changing her demeanor into a "customer service face", as they've called it before. When she recognizes Allen that fake smile turns into one that's more genuine. Though her expression once she sees Lavi trailing behind him turns into one of curiosity.

"Allen!" She calls out anyway, jumping on the balls of her feet. "Hi!"

"Hey, Lenalee." He says, setting down his things on the counter in front of her.

"What are you doing? Don't you work at this time?" She asks him. Allen can physically see her nearly vibrating in anticipation to talk to Lavi.

"I got the day off." He answers easily.

"Why are you all wet?" She presses, giving the both of them a good once-over.

"That's..." Allen starts to think of a way to explain but he's cut off by Lavi.

"You know Allen?" He cuts in abruptly. It's not exactly the smoothest thing to say to someone you've just met but, whatever.

That makes Lenalee giggle. "Of course, we've been friends since high school."

Something clicks in Lavi's head as he has a realization moment. "Oh, you must be Lenalee! Allen was talking about you yesterday. You're home from college for the summer, yeah?"

Lenalee blinks as she's taken back for a second. "Yep, that's me! You're... Lavi?" She asks.

"He told you about me, too?"

"Not much, just enough that I'd be able to recognize you." She smiles innocently. Allen thanks every deity he can think of that she doesn't say exactly what he told her.

The interaction seems to be going well between them, though Allen certainly does not miss the way Lenalee looks like she's about to explode with all the questions and comments she wants to say to him. Fortunately for him she still has to work so they buy their things and promptly move to leave the store. They wave goodbye to Lenalee and while it may just be his imagination, Allen thinks he sees a worried expression on Lenalee's face.

\--

The rest of their day is spent lounging around in Allen's apartment, watching movies, TV, and Allen's favorite part, cuddling. It sounds dumb, like he's a teenager again, but he can't deny it. It just feels so nice to be against someone. Before they know it, it's already nighttime. It stopped raining outside and they can hear the crickets and cicadas droning from beyond the closed windows. The two of them are currently in an... interesting position. At some point during the movie, they got bored, and Lavi engaged in some light kissing. Well, the light kissing turned into the redhead pinning the smaller to the side of the couch, nearly devouring him like his life depends on it. Allen's extremely eager to participate and it ends with both of them feeling boneless and satisfied.

As much as Lavi wants to stay, it's time for him to finally go back to his hotel room. As he's gathering up the small things he's left around the apartment, Allen loiters around, slightly disappointed the redhead is leaving. "Do you have to go?" He asks in a light voice as the redhead puts on his shoes by the door.

Lavi laughs. "Yeah, I really need a change of clothes. And I probably need to get some more work done." He says.

Allen's face warms when he realizes that he really hasn't been back to his own place for the better part of two days and probably was looking forward to changing and sleeping in his own(?) bed. Plus, he has to go back to work himself. He'd been slightly spoiled the last couple days. "I didn't really think about that." He admits sheepishly.

Lavi smiles at him. "Don't worry, I'll be around." He assures.

That makes Allen feel better and he smiles back. "Okay."

With that, the other leaves and disappears down the hallway, leaving him alone once more. He forgot what it was like to have someone so lively in his space most of the time and, while he doesn't mind the quiet, it feels empty as well. Allen thinks of things to do to amuse himself before he rests up for work tomorrow.

\--

True to his word, Lavi keeps in contact with Allen as much as he can.

He has a routine where he comes into The Ark every couple of days, specifically when it's slower so that Allen can talk to him. It always brightens his day and he finds himself glancing at the clock more than usual just waiting for him to walk in. When he does appear and Allen smiles widely, he doesn't miss the knowing and mischievous glances from Tyki. It's strange because Allen doesn't think that him and Lavi necessarily act like a couple, but maybe his boss can just see straight through his uncontrollable smiles and high laughter. Plus sometimes Lavi lets some things slip when he doesn't mean to.

In the weeks Allen gets to know Lavi more, there are things about him that are surprising. The more they spend time together he realizes just how goofy he could be. It's obvious to him now that the redhead was being tame when they knew each other for the first few days. Lavi knew just how to push his buttons in just the right way (mostly involving him poking fun of Allen's height). While it did get to him, he never went over the line and eventually the white-haired boy simply found the teasing words endearing. They were just a part of him.

Another aspect of the redhead is that he can be extremely quiet and focused. Whenever he would be over at Allen's apartment and they were quiet for more than a minute, he'd always pull out a book from god knows where and spend what time he had reading. Allen would sometimes watch him in amazement as his one green eye would scan rapidly over the words, finishing whole books in record time. If he isn't reading, then he's writing. It's always contained in a small leather-bound journal. Mostly he writes, but sometimes Allen can hear the pencil scratch across the page in sketchy lines, indicating that he's drawing. Allen is so curious about them but he knows Lavi would have already shown him if hew anted him to see, so he minds his own business. One day, Lavi takes Allen back to his hotel room to go grab some things and that's when he finally got to see the extent of Lavi's work. The desk provided by the hotel was completely covered with his laptop and probably hundreds of papers. Some of the overflow even spilled onto the queen bed and Allen wonders how the other could even focus or sleep in such a mess.

Another thing Allen learns about Lavi is that he's restless. If he isn't holed away in the hotel working and translating, he's always dragging Allen out on adventures. At first he didn't know how to feel about them, since he was so used to his routine of work and home. As time went on and they ventured further and further from town, Allen began to enjoy them. It seems like Lavi's element is in the driver's seat of his car on the open road, turning on the cruise and blasting his music through the tinny speakers. Any time it wasn't raining he had the windows down, filling the car with whipping winds and the smell of damp Earth.

If Allen had to work for the entire weekend, it wasn't uncommon that he would just go by himself. The first couple times it made Allen nervous since he wouldn't even get a text from the redhead for days. Though he figured that's just the way he did things.

His favorite trip they ever went on was when Allen had a weekend off and they had the luxury to travel out of state. Lavi wouldn't even tell him where they were going, just that he needed to stock up on as many snacks and drinks as possible and they wouldn't be back until late Sunday night.

Allen had never realized the strangeness of road trips. When they turned onto the unfamiliar roads and an endless stretch of interstate, everything just blurred together. The landscape remained mostly the same: Flat, endless land. Sometimes there would be mountains in the distance. At one point he fell asleep and woke up to be surrounded by these said mountains that were both similar but different to the ones he was familiar with back at home. Every time they stopped for gas, food, bathroom breaks or to sleep, it was like being at the same place. The only indicator they had traveled at all would be the occasional souvenirs at the convenience stores. His butt would hurt from sitting for so long and it was hard to truly get comfortable, but it was also the best weekend of his life.

One night, just as it was hitting one in the morning, the two of them were fighting their drooping eyelids. The single green light of the radio illuminated the car and the music was low and quiet. It felt like he was in a dream. Lavi yawned loudly next to him. "We gotta pull over soon so I can catch some Z's."

Allen glanced out the window, his eyebrows furrowing together when he realized that they hadn't seen a glimpse of civilization in hours. "Where?"

"We'll just pull over." Lavi said confidently, already slowing down the car to pull off the bumpy road into the short grass off to the side. Before this they had always stopped at a motel or a rest stop so Allen panicked for a second. "Are you sure this is okay?"

"Have you seen another car within the last two hours? Nobody cares." The redhead assured him. He turned off the engine in the car, dousing them in darkness. They used the flashlights on their phones to get blankets from the backseat before climbing out of the car. They both stretched out their backs and legs, sighing and groaning in relief. It was pretty dark, only able to see thanks to a street light right above them. A cluster of moths and bugs lazily fly around and smack themselves against the bulb repeatedly.

After Lavi laid the blankets down he gingerly sits and pats the spot next to him for Allen to take. He greatly accepted. Their surroundings are loud and quiet all at the same time. The stillness in the air was only interrupted by the sounds of crickets and frogs croaking in a pond somewhere in the distance. The two of them lounged back on the blankets, staring up at the vast expanse of sky. Allen knew it was just because they were in the middle of nowhere, but he was just amazed by the amount of stars they could see. His gray eyes reflected the pinpricks in the sky and for a second he felt like he was floating.

"Pretty, huh?" Lavi mumbled next to him, voice low.

"Yeah..." Allen said.

As they drifted into silence, a twinkling yellow light caught Allen's attention. Curiously he turned, his eyes searching the vast open field for what he saw. He saw it again and his eyes darted to follow it until he realized that there were multiple of them now, some closer and others all the way out in the field. The white-haired boy sat up abruptly. "Lavi, what are those?" He asked, shaking his shoulder.

The other sat up as well, his one eye searching for what Allen was talking about. He smiled widely. "Those are fireflies."

Allen smiled too, following one close to them as it glowed at random. "I remember you mentioning them awhile ago, they're so pretty."

Lavi kept his eye on the same bug, quickly darting his hands out so that he caught it gently. He kept his hands cupped closed so that it wouldn't fly away. "I'm surprised we're able to see them here. They've been dying out really quickly almost everywhere." As he said this, he leaned in close to Allen, opening his hands slightly so they could see inside. The little bug pattered around, looking for a way out and lighting up its abdomen every few seconds.

Allen felt like a little kid again, grinning widely at the insect. "That's too bad, they're so neat."

Lavi hummed in agreement, opening his hands all the way so the small creature could fly into the night. "I'm glad we got to see them. I _did_ say I would show you someday."

Allen laughed. "Yeah, you did say that."

They both settled back down on the blankets until the two drifted off to sleep.

\--

They returned from their roadtrip and the two of them fell back into their semi-normal routine. However, Lavi seems... absent.

It took awhile for Allen to notice, since he's become used to the redhead disappearing occasionally, though it's slowly began to last for longer amounts of time. He doesn't want to admit that it bothers him, because they _still_ haven't labeled anything yet (a fact that really bothers Lenalee any time she asks about it). In fact, they're discussing it for the umpteenth time at their normal coffee shop.

"So, where has he disappeared to this time?" She asks, sipping her drink.

Allen frowns. "I don't know, he doesn't tell me."

That makes his friend furrow her eyebrows in worry. "That doesn't bother you...?"

The quiet question catches him off guard. "I mean... not really. I can't tell him what he can and can't do."

"You're not worried about him being unfaithful?"

Allen scrunches his nose at the thought. "Lavi would never do that, he's not the type. Does he give you that vibe?" He can't help but ask since he's never considered it. Though they weren't _together_ , per se, so maybe it wouldn't be such a crazy question.

To his relief, Lenalee shakes her head. "No, he doesn't. It's just... It's been, what, almost three months now? He still hasn't approached you about making anything official. I'm just worried about you, is all."

Allen softens at her words. When Lenalee says things like that it's like she's staring into his soul. "I mean... I'd _like_ to make things more official, but I'm also just having fun seeing where things go. It's really conflicting."

Lenalee hums, absently stirring her drink with her straw. "I just want you to be careful. I can tell how close you've gotten to him and honestly, when he's not around, you seem a little... sad?"

"I am not." The other defends immediately. He doesn't like the feeling of being too dependent on anyone.dd

His friend gives him a skeptical look, but she backs off slightly. "Alright, alright. I just think maybe you should say something. It'll help you feel better, whatever the answer is."

Allen mulls it over in his head, biting his lip as he thinks. He both loves and hates that Lenalee is right, it's been long enough and it wouldn't be out of line to say something. What exactly should he say, though?

Suddenly, an alarm beeps quietly from Lenalee's phone and she picks it up to silence it. "Damn, I gotta get back to work."

"Komui won't be too mad if you're a little late, right?"

His friend giggles, already gathering up her things and putting them in her purse. "He totally would and you know it."

Allen laughs too, though he's still bummed that she has to leave. "Alright, I'll see you later."

"Keep me updated if anything happens, okay?" She shoulders on her purse and stands up from the booth.

"I will."

With that she walks out into the rain, half jogging down the short black to the shop. Allen sighs, watching out the window at the sheets of rain. The pattering of water against the window and the soft conversations around him are soothing background noise.

He jolts slightly when he feels his phone vibrate against the table. When the display lights up to show Lavi's name, an easy smile takes over. He answers on the second ring, holding the device to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Allen!" Calls a familiar voice.

He laughs. "Hey, what's up?"

"I just got back into town. Did you want to get together?"

Allen wasn't expecting this to happen right now, given that the redhead had been gone for two weeks. He wanted to have some time to think about what he was going to say, but he probably wouldn't have a better opportunity than this, especially since it's fresh on his mind. "Y-Yeah, sure." His voice stutters before he could stop it. "I was just out with Lenalee so I can just meet you back at the apartment?"

"Perfect, see ya soon."

They both say goodbyes and hang up. Allen sighs through his nose. _Well, here goes nothing..._ He thinks.

\--

By the time he gets home, he already spots Lavi's car in the visitor parking spaces. He must've either been closer to just beat him here. Allen parks and Lavi's leaning against the trunk of his car, waiting. Allen approaches him, smiling happily. "Hey~" He greets.

"Hey!" The other says just as enthusiastically, draping an arm around his shoulders. "Did ya miss me?" He asks lightly.

 _Yes._ Allen wants to say immediately. Instead he shrugs one shoulder teasingly. "I guess."

Lavi laughs. "You wound me." He plays along.

As the two of them fall into step next to each other and make their way up to Allen's apartment, the white-haired boy is eager to spend their day together. As soon as they walk in and they take off their shoes, the redhead is already making kissy noises to draw Timcanpy's attention from the other room. He lavishes the orange tabby in attention, telling him that he missed him while he was gone. It's really cute to see how attached Lavi had gotten to Tim in the last couple months.

When Tim was satisfied with the attention and finally trotted away, Allen asks, "So, what did you want to do today?"

"Hmm," The redhead thinks. "Movies? I've been in the car so long I'm exhausted."

Allen smiles, knowing that that definitely means he's going to fall asleep on the couch within record time. He doesn't mind, though. They fall into their familiar routine of picking a streaming site and sometimes Lavi would have a really specific request but other times, like today, he couldn't care less so Allen got to watch something he wanted. A few minutes into the movie, Lavi shifts his position so his legs were hanging off the side of the couch and he rests his head on Allen's lap. The other cards his fingers through the thick red hair, admiring its softness. He can tell Lavi's struggling to stay awake, his eye fluttering closed from the relaxing sensation. With his facial features relaxed, Allen smiles down at him. As nice as the moment is, he can't stop thinking about his conversation with Lenalee earlier. As much as he'd like to assure himself that everything's fine, he couldn't in good conscious let this go. He'd have to ask now before he fell asleep and forgot about it.

"Lavi?" He says quietly, hoping he's not too late.

To his relief, the redhead opens his green eye, sleepily meeting Allen's gaze. "Yeah?"

"I need to ask you about something." He says boldly. No reason to beat around the bush.

"Oh, yeah, sure." He reluctantly moves to sit up and Allen mourns the temporary loss of warmth. He'd rather talk face to face instead of the awkward angle they were at before, though.

Now that he has the attention on him, he's not sure where to start. "It's just..." He sighs. "We've been... a thing for a couple months now... actually three, now that I think about it. Are we even really... a thing? What are we calling "us"?" It's scary to finally say it and yet a huge weight has been lifted off of his shoulders.

He's not sure if this is the word to describe it, but it looks like a flash of panic crosses the other's features. His frame is stiff and uncomfortable. "Oh, jeez..." He mumbles, absently rubbing at the back of his neck.

Allen swallows the lump that suddenly forms in his throat.

"... Do we really need a label for it?" He raises an eyebrow in response. "I mean," Lavi backtracks, "We've been having so much fun with what we have, it feels wrong to try and officially call it something."

Allen thinks that statement is slightly contradictory. "I... I guess..."

He hates how his voice sounds so small and disappointed. He shouldn't let something like this get to him, he scolds himself.

"Um..." Lavi is rarely ever at a loss for words. "I'm not really good at this kind of stuff." He mumbles.

"At what?" Allen implores.

"Labels, I guess."

There are lots of things that he wants to ask, that he wants to say. He just wasn't expecting this response so it's making it harder and harder to think of how to continue. "How do you feel about me, Lavi?" He goes for.

Lavi stares at him, obviously lost in the many thoughts that are running through his head at once. "I... I don't know." Allen's stomach drops but Lavi keeps going before he can say anything. "I really like you, obviously!" He makes sure to add, feeling the sudden tension in the room. "I'm just not good at this romance thing. It just feels weird when I try to explain it."

Allen feels thoroughly confused. "I mean to everyone else it's like we're already dating." Allen informs him, "We spend time together, we go on what people would consider dates, we have sex with each other exclusively... right?" He makes sure to ask, pointedly looking at him.

"Of course! Jesus, I'm not that kind of person." The redhead responds indignantly.

Allen believes him and nods. "Then what's so daunting about a label?"

"Because... doesn't it bother you? What I do?"

The white-haired boy tilts his head slightly. "Your translation job? Why would that bother me?"

The other shakes his head. "No, not that. I mean how I'll be gone for a few days and I'm pretty bad at keeping in touch."

Allen worries his bottom lip between his teeth. "I mean... I don't _love_ it, but... I always trust that you're going to come back."

The statement is said with so much love and sincerity and it tears Lavi from the inside out. The tender moment is short-lived whenever reality crashes back down on him. "But what if... I didn't come back one day?"

"What?" Allen's voice is small.

"There's a reason I haven't settled down anywhere yet. Remember how we met?"

He does, extremely vividly, like it was only yesterday. The handsome traveler stopping in to take shelter from the rain and sweeping him off his feet in the process. He remembers to nod in response to Lavi's question.

"I'm just not made to be in one place, it makes me feel trapped."

"What about what you told me when I felt like my life was stagnant?" Lavi looks up, hanging on to his every word. "You told me that even though I wasn't necessarily doing anything amazing with my life that didn't mean I'm unsuccessful or stuck. I still think about that, especially when I think about what Mana told me..." He has to trail off for a second at the thought. "But I have good friends, a place to live, TImcanpy... You could have that, too."

Lavi rolls Allen's words around in his head for a good minute, and yet it just doesn't feel right. "I don't know, Allen..."

The tension in the air is heavy and thick, it's unbearable. This is probably the worst case scenario, Allen thinks. "Lavi... I'm not here to tell you how to live your life and I don't want you to feel pressured to do anything, especially because of me, it's just... something to think about. If you do go, though, just know that I'll miss you."

Lavi's heart nearly shatters at the words. All his pent up affection for the boy across from him wants to spill out all at once. He doesn't want to leave Allen, someone he's become so accustomed to in his life. A warm and pleasant presence that makes him doubt everything he's ever done with his life since his grandfather passed. "Won't you come with me?" He blurts out.

Allen blinks. "What?"

Lavi takes Allen's hands into his own, suddenly animated by the idea. "We can leave together. We can still come back to visit as much as you want but we can also travel and go wherever you want."

Everything is moving so quickly and the other feels uncertain. "I... what about work? What about Lenalee? What about money?"

"Money won't be an issue, I..." Lavi sheepishly looks away as if he's afraid to admit something. "What I inherited from my grandfather is more than enough for the both of us, trust me."

There's a split second where he actually entertains the idea, wondering what it would be like to leave everything behind and to go do and see everything he's ever wanted to do. Not only that, but he'll have Lavi by his side the whole way. As tempting as it all is, he can't shake the feeling that not having somewhere to truly call home feels... wrong. It feels like he'd be running away from everyone and everything. "L-Lavi, I don't know..."

The hesitance in his voice makes the redhead's confidence falter. It looks like he wants to shrink in on himself. "I just don't want to lose you..." He mumbles.

"Then stay?" Allen asks quietly.

He watches as Lavi visibly swallows and just shakes his head in response.

Now he can't shake the uneasiness from the whole thing. "Then maybe you should just go..." The words taste like acid as they leave his mouth. He can't believe he managed to say it.

"I..." It looks like Lavi wants to defend himself, to explain himself further, As much as he wants to do this, he can tell that Allen isn't having any of it. "If that's what you want..."

It really isn't what he wants, but it's the only thing he can think of that will benefit the both of them, at least in the long run. With his heart heavy and emotions torn, Allen just nods. He doesn't dare look up from his lap as the redhead quietly rises to his feet to step out. After a few soft footsteps and shuffling, the door closes behind him and leaves the apartment in silence. Allen feels the beginnings of tears threaten to spill over and he quickly wipes them away.

\--

A few days pass and Lavi's gone. Allen knew it was bound to happen, but it doesn't hurt any less. When he updates Lenalee on what happened she tries to reason that he's still around, but the words sound empty even to her. In a way the white-haired boy could sense an air of "I knew this would happen" from his friend and yet she's too nice to ever say anything like that to him. He doesn't need to hear anything like that, anyway, he's learned his lesson.

While it feels like there's an emptiness inside of him, he goes back to his normal routine. Life continues normally, almost like Lavi had never even been there in the first place. It isn't until a week later when Allen finds the letter. It's in his mailbox along with a ton of other junk mail and copies of bills (which he usually tosses anyway since he does everything electronically). He almost misses the dainty thing amongst the junk. The envelop it's enclosed in is yellowed and aged, somehow fitting the "old soul" vibe that Lavi always gave off. Allen sets down the other papers, holding the letter gently, like it'll disappear if he moves too quickly. It's strangely thick and his curiosity is piqued, prompting him to tear open the seal right there in the mail room.

First, he pulls out the old paper decorated with Lavi's beautifully perfect and picturesque handwriting. It can almost be described as a scrawl, but the individual letters are too neat and pronounced to be unreadable. Allen feels like his heart is in his throat as he unfolds the paper and starts to read over the words carefully.

_Dear Allen,_

_You probably know this already, but by the time you read this, I'll have left town. I'm sorry that I didn't stop to say a proper goodbye, but I figured it was best this way. While I could have just slipped away quietly, there's still so much more that I want to say to you, things that I believe you deserve to hear, mainly for closure. Mostly the fact that you mean so much more to me than I could have ever anticipated. I won't lie and say you are the first person I've ever made a connection with in my endeavors, but you are the first that made me doubt everything I've ever lived by. When I stopped in and saw you that night, I just had the craziest feeling that we would be at least friends, if not more. That whole night I was filled to the brim with anticipation to see you at that bar and I never felt more relieved than when you took up my request. I don't think I'll ever forget that night for the rest of my life._

_More than anything, though, I want to apologize. Because I had never had a connection with anyone like I did with you, I ended up stringing you along, it feels like. I never intended for that to happen because you deserve so much more than that. When I left that night I seriously consider staying because I couldn't stand the thought of being apart and never seeing you again._

_But I'm just not ready. It may sound childish but it's the truth, and for that I'm sorry. I still have a lot of searching to do not only physically but within myself as well. I don't want you to have to wait for me as I'm still trying to figure myself out and decide what I truly want out of life._

_One thing I do know for sure, though, is that wherever I may find myself, I'd like to be with someone like you, someday. I think that's one thing I will forever and always be certain of._

_I loved our time together and even if you hate me after this, I hope you can still look back on the great times we had together. I hope that wherever you keep walking, your soul remains just as beautiful and lovely as it is now. Just know that Mana is proud of you and will continue to be proud of you, whatever you decide to do._

_Until we meet again, Allen._

_Love,_

_Lavi_

By the time Allen is finished reading the letter, his eyes are glassy and there's the very real threat of tears spilling over. He knows that he should move to a more private location instead of in the middle of the dingy mail room, but it's like his feet are nailed to the floor as he reads Lavi's words over and over again. Delicately, he folds the paper to how it was before and reaches into the envelop, retrieving the other papers that are stowed away. The papers are a little thicker than the one the letter is written on and he can see that it was ripped out of a journal of some kind. He isn't sure what to expect, and yet he still finds himself surprised, his gray eyes widening when unfolding the pages.

They're countless sketches and drawings. Most of them are of some scenery, like the ocean, the surrounding mountains, the downtown area from specific views in coffee shops and businesses. The most startling of the sketches, however, are the ones of Allen himself. His scarred hands come up to cover his mouth in surprise as he stares at the pages filled with sketches of him with various expressions and different angles. For a second he's just so blown away by the artistry as all of the sketches have a distinct style. It feels weird to see art of himself, he thinks, and yet he's also so flattered that he's simply beside himself. He flips through the pages repeatedly, staring at all the sketches of his town he's grown to love so much, each page neatly dated at the top. True to the timeline of when they met, the sketches begin the same day he met Lavi at The Ark.

Lost in the moment, he almost forgets that he'll never see Lavi again. Remembering it makes his heart feel like a rock in his chest as he stows away the sketches, already thinking of what he should do with them since he's definitely not tossing them. Even though the redhead was a whirlwind of adventure and emotion for a few months it's like Allen had known him for years and that's what makes losing him so hurtful.

With the air heavy with uncertainty, that night Allen precariously hangs the sketches and the letter on his wall, displaying them proudly. Lavi may be gone but that doesn't mean Allen's fond memories of him have to disappear too. As the days and weeks pass he finds himself glancing over at them every once in awhile. It always gives him a mixed feeling and he even debated taking them down, but they ultimately remained up and eventually he knew that they would always be something he kept close as a memory of the mysterious traveler.

**-Five years later-**

Allen pulls his long, black military coat tighter around his thin frame as he walks against the flurry of snow, his breath coming out in clouds against the bitter cold of the Chicago air. He tries to bury his face into his thick scarf, continuing his fast pace down the crowded sidewalks, his gloved hands shoved into his pockets. Cars rush by and other pedestrians pass by in a blur, also bundled up and either talking amongst their groups or going about the daily motions with their headphones in their ears. As a particularly strong gust of wind blows his white hair back, he squints, sniffing as he starts to lose feeling in his nose. He presses on, knowing that his destination is just a couple blocks away. He passes by a man sat down on the sidewalk, an acoustic guitar propped up on his legs as his ungloved hands strum and finger the instrument, obviously red and dry from the winter air. As quickly as he can without slowing down his pace too much, the white-haired man digs around for a few stray one dollar bills he keeps in his pockets for these occasions, setting them down in the man's guitar case and hoping they don't blow away. He smiles kindly as the other lights up, continuing to play with vigor and catch the attention of the tourists and others.

Finally, once he turns a corner, the large and towering skyscrapers temporarily shielding him from the oncoming winds, giving him a second to breathe. Ahead, he spots a glowing neon sign against the sparse snowfall and even from this far away he can hear the distant sound of trumpets and saxophones coming from inside. Pulling down his scarf down from his mouth, he walks inside and is immediately met with a warm blast of air and the jazz ensemble playing within. There's some quiet murmuring and talking at the bar as people make light conversation and drink. He begins shedding his layers, unraveling his large scarf and unbuttoning his coat as he makes his way towards the back room.

"Hey Allen, getting cold out there?" A short man asks from behind the counter, giving him an amused smile from the sight of his red cheeks.

He sighs dramatically. "You have no idea, Bak. I don't think I'll ever get used to winters in the midwest." He comments, folding his scarf and coat with each other to be stowed away.

The other laughs, following him for a brief moment since there's no one who needs help immediately at the bar. "Yeah, I don't think I will either. We've been pretty slow today because of the weather, I almost called and told you that you didn't even need to bother with coming in." The Asian man told him, leaning casually against the door frame of the room.

Allen shakes his head, straightening out his long-sleeved white button down that's tucked neatly into his black slacks. He takes his now long hair kept in a low, neat ponytail and drapes it over one of his shoulders, making sure the small, red ribbon was still keeping in it place. Once he's satisfied with his appearance, he turns back to his boss. "You know I wouldn't accept that, I love coming into work."

Bak smiles easily. "Yeah, I know, which is why I didn't bother."

Allen laughs lightly, making his way out into the main area of the bar where the current song being performed on stage is starting to wrap up. Bak makes his way back to the counter, aimlessly cleaning glasses and taking other orders as he watches the stage area as they set up for the next segment of the night. In the minimal lighting of the club, Allen finds his way to the piano positioned off onto the side of the main stage, taking a seat delicately as the next singer of the night replaces the woman who was previously crooning sweetly into the microphone only moments ago. A well-dressed man takes the stage, introducing himself and pretty much going through the motions of a typical performance. As he does so, Allen's already positioned his fingers gently over the ivory keys, feeling that familiar and exciting flutter in his chest before he performs. He's gotten addicted to it in the last few years, he swears. When the segment is introduced, him and the man make brief eye contact before the he begins playing the first few soft notes of the song, barely even having to watch his hands as he has it memorized, swaying gently back and forth as he plays, the man filling the room with a smooth voice that resembles Frank Sinatra and Bobby Darin. The performance goes off without a hitch, the small ensemble, Allen, and the vocalist nailing all of their rhythms and notes like they were born to. Maybe they were, it feels like it's in his blood at this point.

As the song starts to come to a close, he finds his eyes drifting along the crowd, watching the enamored faces of the patrons either sitting in the cherry red booths or the intricately detailed metal chairs at the tables. He loves watching the crowds reaction, mostly because this particular club was sort of a tourist destination, meaning that many of their customers are experiencing live music such as this for the first time. It's always fun to watch people experience something new, their whole attention on them and the music. As the last few bars of the song approach, he turns his attention back down the piano, making sure to nail the faster section of the music.

However, as he does so, something (or, someone) catches his attention in his peripheral vision. He swears he sees a man sitting at one of the tall chairs at the bar, wearing a long green coat with a mess of red hair. As much as he wants to immediately dart his gaze back and assess, he stays professional, keeping up with the band and vocalist as the instruments swell and crescendo, dousing the club with power and class. The last note is played and rings out with a satisfying sound before there's light applause all around them. Instantly, his gray eyes scan the bar area again and thankfully the man is still there. He squints, trying to see more clearly in the dim lighting. There's no doubt he's watching him as he sips gingerly at the glass in his hand. Even from here Allen can see that his right eye is covered with an all too familiar patch.

It just can't be... Is that...?

Allen is gawking, mouth hanging open as his hands are still positioned on the piano. There's some shuffling as the vocalist takes a drink of water set aside and the band adjust mouthpieces and other things in preparation for the next piece. In just a couple seconds, the man at the bar breaks eye contact with him and sets down the empty glass onto the table. He watches as he exchanges a couple words to Bak and sets some money on the table, rising to his feet and wrapping a tattered scarf securely around his neck. Allen's stomach drops and there's a moment of panic as he considers what to do. Suddenly, he's caught between standing his ground and letting him walk away, or doing something about it. He rises to his feet suddenly and he's lucky that most of the patrons have taken the pause in the music as a chance to talk with each other so it's not much of a scene when he quietly tells the vocalist and band to give him about five minutes and to play a backup song in the meantime. While there's obviously confusion between them, they trust Allen since he's been there for a decent amount of time. Soon they're playing an instrumental jazz piece as Allen quietly slips away, following the redhead out the front entrance back into the winter cold.

His eyes dart from side to side, trying to see which way he went. He annoys some pedestrians in the meantime who try to swerve to avoid him, side-eyeing him as they do so. He's completely unconcerned, though, finally catching sight of the man's back about a block down. He sets off in that direction, half-jogging through the crowd as the snow flurries rush past him. The name is on the tip of his tongue as he gets closer and when he's absolutely sure it's him. In the end he didn't even have to call out his name, the sound of his boots quickly hitting the sidewalk drawing his attention.

When he turns around, his one eye wide with curiosity, the sheer greenness of them transports him back to that beautiful hot summer day in the northwest. He's frozen in place, barely even registering that he's lacking the proper layers to be outside at the moment. "Lavi...?" He finally says, almost completely drowned out by the bus that roars by.

The man smiles, turning towards him fully now. "Hey, Allen." He says softly, almost unsure of himself. This is reflected in his body language as he stuffs his hands deep down into the pockets of his coat. Allen watches him, taken back by how similar he is but there's just enough small nuances that tells him he's different. He looks a little... cleaner, in a way. His hair is shorter and a bit more well-kept than when they had first met years ago. However, his strong jaw line and the soft freckles on his face are a universal constant that keeps him at ease.

"What are you...." He trails off, trying to find the right words. "What are you doing here?" He asks.

He laughs, light and airy. "I could ask you the same thing." He responds.

The sound is just as infectious as it was back then. He shrugs a shoulder, crossing his arms to try and preserve his body heat. "I'm going to school at the local university, actually. I also play at the bar full time." He informs him.

Lavi's expression lights up, an easy smile on his lips. "Wow, really? That's so cool. Good for you, Allen, I mean it." He comments and it makes Allen's heart soar.

He shrugs again, trying to act casual. "Honestly, you were the last person I thought I'd ever see here... or, anywhere, actually." He clears his throat awkwardly. "Lemme guess, you're just passing through?" He asks. He tries to keep his tone light and teasing, though it may have come off a little passive aggressive.

To his amazement, the redhead shakes his head. "I moved here a couple weeks ago, actually."

Allen's eyebrows shoot up to his hairline. "I... you moved here?"

He nods. "Yeah, I moved into an apartment downtown. Kinda figured it was time to settle down."

"Huh, that's... I mean, that's really cool. What made you decide on Chicago?" He asks.

Lavi shrugs. "I don't know, it's... an interesting place. Believe it or not I've only been here a couple times and I always loved it when I came, so... might as well give it a chance."

"That sounds nice, Lavi." A brief silence overcomes them and Allen just can't stop staring at the redhead in the warm light coming from the holiday decorations put up on the light poles. He wants to say something else, but it's like everything he's ever wanted to say to him since he left has just disappeared.

"Your playing is beautiful." Lavi says suddenly.

Allen blinks. "You think so?" His voice is shy as he responds.

"It makes me regret that I never got to hear you play back then, when we first met."

Allen glances down at the sidewalk which is now accumulating the smallest layer of soft snow. "Well, I play almost every night around this time... You could stop by again...?" He suggests hesitantly.

"You want to see me again?" Lavi's voice is incredulous.

That makes Allen's eyebrows furrow together. "Why would I not want to see you?"

"Because... because I left? I don't know, I just thought... you'd never want to see me again."

The mere suggestion is almost offensive to him, but he also knows its a warranted concern. There was a long time where he wasn't even interested in the thought of Lavi coming back into his life, seeing the summer fling as more of a waste than something that was worthy of all the emotional labor. Every unreturned phone call, every unread text message, it all cut him so deep. Though as soon as he set his mind to what he finally wanted to go off and do with his life, the summer memories turned into something he remembered fondly, despite the difference in life goals and abandonment. "Of course I want to see you again, I mean..." He sighs, the cold starting to set in and he shivers. "We had _something_."

The redhead nods with a chuckle. "Yeah, I guess we did. I know it's five years too late but I wanted to say I'm sorry and that I've really missed you, since I left." He avoids eye contact with him, smiling sadly to the ground. "I really thought I'd never see you again. I'm still actually not sure if I'm dreaming or not right now."

Allen chest swells with affection. "It's okay, Lavi, we just obviously had different goals in mind. But, regardless, we're in the same city now, probably not that far away... I'd love to see you again."

Lavi is quiet, his forest green eye staring into his gray ones. "Me too, more than anything." He breathes. By this point they've been outside long enough that the snowflakes are accumulating in their hair and on their clothes and while they can say that the conversation has ended, neither of them want to leave.

Something pulls them closer to one another and Allen finds himself in the familiar position of tilting his head up to look up at Lavi's handsome face, realizing that he misses the dark freckles that are mostly faded due to the winter. They both know that they're in the middle of the sidewalk and yet Lavi reaches out to rest a hand on his waist, his face leaning closer to his. Allen's heart flutters quickly in his chest and his eyes start to drift close, anticipating a kiss. Instead, the redhead leans forward and gently rests his forehead against his and stays there for a second, the two of them drinking in each other's presence. When Allen realizes that he's not going to kiss him, his eyes flutter open, glancing up at him through his pale eyelashes. The tenderness of the gesture makes him feel as if he's on cloud nine. "Until I see you again...?" Allen mumbles.

"Yeah." Lavi responds, moving so that he can gently kiss Allen's cheek. "See ya soon, Allen."

He moves back and now Allen isn't being warmed by his body heat, leaving him to shiver when a gust of wind blows past him. With a smile, Lavi turns and starts walking away from him, disappearing as he turns around a corner at the end of the block. Allen has been away from the club for far more than five minutes at this point and he knows that it's time to go back or else it would really be a burden on the performances for the night. After watching after where Lavi disappeared seconds ago, he lets out a long breath he didn't know he had been holding and turns around, making his way back to the club to shield himself from the winter cold.

**Author's Note:**

> I know it probably seems like the setting and tone jumps around a lot in this story, so I hope that wasn't too distracting. It's pretty hard to keep something consistent when you work on it over a long period of time.
> 
> If you read and enjoy leaving a comment would mean the absolute world to me. Cheers!
> 
> Follow me on[Tumblr](https://nagi-chan-san.tumblr.com/) ?


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